METROPOLIS: CASINO NOT BOOM OR BUST; CITY BUDGET REAL WINNER AS INCOME UP $700,000

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- Until the riverboat came to town in February, Metropolis was known mainly for producing two of the world's mightiest weapons: Superman and fly swatters.

Recently deceased and reincarnated in the comics, Superman always has been alive and well in his hometown. A new $100,000 bronze statue of the "Man of Steel" will be unveiled Saturday in Superman Square.

As for fly swatters, they are one of the primary products of the Laidlaw Corp., one of Metropolis' leading employers.

Now the Players Riverboat Casino has put Metropolis on the map as a gambling town as well. From mid-February, when the boat opened, through the end of April, 209,786 people have paid to go aboard.

Bill Kommer, a smokeless tobacco fan who's beginning his second term as the city's mayor, was ambivalent at first about bringing the riverboat to Metropolis. But so far he's happy with the city's new major employer.

The city's revenue from the boat is running far ahead of the $1.5 million annual take projected by Players International Inc. The city received nearly $700,000 based on 5 percent of adjusted gross receipts and $1 per admission in the casino's first 2 months of operation. That's a hefty infusion of money for a city with a previous budget of less than $7 million.

Metropolis spent $143,000 upgrading its riverfront to prepare for the boat's arrival. All of that has been paid back, Kommer says.

For those who worried that the boat would ruin Metropolis' small-town charms or hoped instant economic nirvana would set in, neither has occurred so far.

"Unless you're in the downtown area you wouldn't know that boat's here," says Gary Kidd, president of the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce.

No crime wave has set in. Police Chief Charles D. Short has logged three calls to the casino itself, two of them civil disturbances between husbands and wives. However, traffic citations have increased by a third over the same period a year ago.

"The percentage (of automobile traffic) is going up a little but not as much as we expected," Short said. "It's the same as for Six Flags or anywhere else."

Arrests for driving under the influence are up. "But I can't associate that with the boat at all," Short said. "Any time you get a place serving alcohol you're going to have an increase.

Metropolis increased its police force by one dispatcher and two police officers in anticipation of a heavier workload due to the boat. The city now has 14 sworn officers and four civilian dispatchers.

There also are plans to widen the road leading to the riverboat, which narrows to two lanes over one 2- to 3-mile stretch.

Despite the heavy traffic, the effect on the city's business community has been "little or none," says Kidd, who is president and general manager of a string of radio stations.

"It probably isn't going to be a boon to clothing stores or car dealers," he said. "Restaurants and service stations have felt increases."

A few gift shops and restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts have sprung up, along with a Best Inns motel out on I-24. "Things that are targeted to tourists are going good," he says. "But overall I think it's too early to tell."

He thinks the casino represents "a vast improvement on our riverfront. There hadn't been anything done in years."

Much of the riverboat opposition including protests has faded away. "You don't have the negatives you used to hear," Kidd says.

He thinks the decision to welcome the riverboat made sense.

"Ten thousand dollars a day in local income is not something you can say no to if you can control it," he said.

At this point, businesses in Paducah may be benefiting more from the riverboat than Metropolis. "It's certainly been good for our motels," said Meme Wiley, executive director of the Paducah Visitors and Convention Commission.

"Every time a bus spends the night, that's $3,000 in your community."

But so far, Wiley says, only word-of-mouth backs up her feeling that motels in Paducah are prospering from gambling.

At J.R.'s Executive Inn, Gay Dwyer says: "I can tell definitely there has been an increase in interest. There have been a lot of inquiries at this point."

The motel's director of sales and marketing, Dwyer says the riverboat is being used to help market the area to conventions and trade shows. The motel has a 50,000-square-foot convention center.

Bus tours are becoming more curious about Paducah's overnight accommodations. "There is increased interest from tour operators with Paducah as a destination," she said.

The motel offers a weekday gambling cruise package for $39.95 a night, which includes a room, breakfast and shuttle service to the boat.

The motel also has a higher-priced weekend package that includes one of the country music shows in its entertainment center.

Bill Carrell, the president of the town's police and fire commissions, has concern about the riverboat's commitment to the town (see related story). But he says it hasn't changed Metropolis. "We've always had a nice, quiet town here. That's one thing people were afraid of ... It's not happened.

And he's happy with the benefits. "I think it's good for Metropolis ... We're a small town with no money; now we've got money and you're going to see a lot of upgrading."

The city council has devised a plan "subject to change," Kommer says for spreading around its new-found wealth. Forty percent will go to infrastructure; 10 percent for self-insurance; 10 percent for grants; 5 percent for police; 5 percent for the fire department; 1 percent for education; 2.5 percent for parks and recreation; 2.5 percent for the city's youth; 3 percent to pay a city planner; and 2 percent for Chamber of Commerce employees.

Kommer is an especially busy man these days. The stream of people who want to see him is steady, whether he's in his office or walking about town.

"And one of my opponents said I run a closed office," Kommer remarked.

He wants to see curbed gutters and new asphalt on the city's streets.

Kidd hopes the riverboat someday will make the city's Christmas basket program for the needy unnecessary.

Metropolis' new Superman statue costs $100,000, much of it raised through individual donations. Its 7,200 citizens might be excused for feeling a bit flush. Most everyone expects business on the boat to start really booming in the summer.

(Wednesday: After 20 months of riverboat gambling, Alton, Ill., trades up to a much roomier casino. But the city is guarding against becoming dependent on the roll of the dice.)