Last week was the deadline for parties interested at taking a crack at another Philadelphia casino to submit proposals to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. When all was said and done, six applicants came forward with plans to build a second sin palace in the City of Philadelphia.

Proposed casino sites

View a clickable version of this map

We’ve already given you the specifics on two of these projects- The Provence, from Tower Investments, at the former Inquirer Building, and Live! Hotel and Casino on the site of a Holiday Inn that’s immediately to the north of Citizens Bank Park. The additional four proposals would see a casino at 7th & Packer, Front & Pattison, 8th & Market, and on Delaware Ave, just north of Sugarhouse. Each project comes from a different developer and a different casino operator, and offers significant differences in terms of concept and execution. But today, we’re more concerned about general casino impact at the six different locations.

From where we sit, Casino Revolution, proposed for Front & Pattison, would likely be the most innocuously located of the six. Currently, the area is full of industrial buildings and highways, and the nearest home is about a half-mile away. But with nothing nearby, would the place get any customers?

The two proposals for casinos next to the stadiums (presuming that the City doesn’t somehow team up with Penn National Gaming Corp. and switch one location to a City-owned parcel at 3rd & Packer) share the same advantages and disadvantages. They would ostensibly attract customers from outside of the City, and they’re not located on top of any residential neighborhoods. They would theoretically get some bump from crowds attending events at the stadiums, but they may contribute to a traffic nightmare, especially on football Sundays.

Holiday Inn site

As for the second Fishtown site, proposed by Steve Wynn, it makes us a little uncomfortable to have a casino district in Philadelphia. Should we consider building a boardwalk as to more closely resemble Atlantic City? Or should we start building out casinos on the other side of Delaware Ave., making our own little miniature Las Vegas strip? All of this is, of course, assuming that Wynn doesn’t walk away from this proposal, as was the case a couple of years ago.

Rendering of Wynn’s Foxwoods proposal that lasted for about ten minutes. Image from the Illadelph

We’ve covered the Provence enough. Read about it here.

The site that seems to have gotten little attention is the infamous former Gimbels site/Disneyhole on the southwest corner of 8th & Market. Over a decade ago, the old Gimbels came down and a hole was dug in anticipation of an indoor Disney theme park that never came to be. It’s been an embarrassing surface parking lot for years now. Now, the Goldenberg Group is proposing a casino for this site, which would clearly represent the most complicated casino location of the six.

Access Patco and Regional Rail is great, Market East could potentially benefit from a huge project driving capital into the area, it’s near the Convention Center, and it would act as a bridge between the historic district and City Hall. On the other hand, residential neighborhoods (which will certainly be opposed) sit directly to the north and south, this huge project could make Market East and even worse place to visit, as plentiful retail space in the area would allow for vice-type shops to cluster nearby. Done perfectly, a casino here could be a huge win for the area and the City. Any imperfections could prove disastrous.

Dental Solutions turns to Cash for Gold place. Casino site on the far right.

Clearly, the determination of our second casino site will have significant long-term ramifications for our city. Will the casino be located someplace out of the way, or someplace that’s in the thick of things? Will it attempt to spur further development, or will it try to keep to itself? Will it painlessly create a windfall for the city, or will it ruin its surrounding neighborhoods?

And here’s the best news: This big decision with long term consequences for our town will be made by the Pennsylvania Gaming Board, a board of seven commissioners with exactly one representative from Philadelphia!

Awesomeness abounds.