>>> FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS THERE ARE COUNTLESS IDEAS FOR
PROJECTINGS THAT NEVER CAME TO FRUITION.
MASS LIVE RECENTLY DELVED INTO ITS ARCHIVES TO LOOK AT THE
DREAMS THAT DIED ON THE VINE.
I DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE PROJECTS AND WHETHER THEY SHOULD
BE REVIVED WITH AUTHOR ROBERT RIZZUTO.
>>> SEEING ALL THESE REALLY AMAZING STORIES OF PLANNED
PROJECTS AND IDEAS AND CONCEPTS THAT WERE YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL
GAME CHANGERS FOR TOWNS AND CITIES IN THE REGION, AND FOR
ONE REASON OR ANOTHER THEY NEVER MADE IT TO THE FINISH LINE.
I JUST STUMBLED UPON THESE RANDOMLY AND I STARTED PUTTING A
COLLECTION TOGETHER.
>>> WITHIN THE PAST TEN OR 20 YEARS YOU DIDN'T GET THE ACTUAL
PROCESS OF GOING THROUGH THE HARD CLIPS.
>>> RIGHT.
>>> I LOVE GOING THROUGH THE MORGUES AT MUSEUMS.
I HAD TO ASK THAT QUESTION.
SO IF PAST DECADE OR SO THEY'RE ALL MAYBE RINGING A BELL FOR
FOLKS AS THEY'RE SEEING THEM ON THE WEBSITE BUT IS THERE ONE YOU
FORGOT ABOUT?
>> YOU KNOW, PEOPLE REACHED OUT WITH DIFFERENT IDEAS AND THERE
WERE A COUPLE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE PITCHED THAT NEVER MADE IT.
SO THOSE WERE INTERESTING AS WAS TO LOOK AT EXPANDING THE
BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, THE THOUGHT WAS IT WAS GOING TO
ENCOMPASS THE SHORELINE THERE TO THE YORK STREET JAIL UP THROUGH
RIVERFRONT PARK.
AND AS WE SEE IN 2018, THINGS DIDN'T DEVELOP THAT WAY.
>>> FOR ME AS I WAS READING THROUGH IT I HAD FORGOTTEN WHAT
A HOTBED OF CASINO ACTIVITY HOLY OAK MAKE.
WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT PROJECT?
>> THEY HAD BEEN WORKING WITH HARD ROCK AND AT THE TIME HOLLY
OAK WASN'T QUITE OPEN FOR BUSINESS STEPFATHER AS FAR AS
CASINOS GO.
THE MAYOR TOOK A VERY PUBLIC STANCE AGAINST CASINOS AND AT
SOME POINT HE WAS HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH LOCAL NORTH
HAMPTON ENTERTAINMENT GUY ERIC SHORE.
THE CONVERSATION KEPT CONTINUING WHERE HE ENDORSED A PLAN AND
THERE WAS SUCH POLITICAL BACKLASH HE ALMOST GOT VOTED OUT
OF OFFICE.
BUT HOLLY OAK WAS YES, NO IT WAS HOT AND COLD AND FOR A VARIETY
OF REASONS IT DIDN'T WORK OUT.
>>> IT WAS ALSO INTERESTING FOR ME TO RECALL IT'S NOT BEEN THAT
LONG SINCE MASSACHUSETTS GAVE THE THUMBS UP TO CASINOS.
AND IT WAS HUGELY CONTROVERSIAL.
>>> VERYUCH.
SO SO MUCH THAT IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOW WE HAVE A BALLOT
REFERENDUM TO REPEAL THE LAW THAT WAS -- IT WAS BEHIND CLOSED
DOORS AND ACTUALLY PASSED.
SO YEAH, STILL TO THIS DAY IT'S STILL A LITTLE CONTROVERSIAL.
>>> AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FURRY MINDING ME ABOUT THE FACT
THE GOOD SAMARITAN HOTEL CASINO PROJECT WAS A POSSIBILITY.
TALK ABOUT ELVIS, NORMAN ROCK WELL AND WHAT WAS THE BEAUTY
PAGEANT PIECE.
>>> THAT'S ONE O. WACKY ONES.
AND THERE'S A BUNCH OF THOSE.
THE IDEA OF TURNING THE YORK STREET JAIL INTO HIGH END
CONDOS.
YOU TOO CAN LIVE BEHIND BARS.
>>> JAIL FOR SALE.
>>> YEAH.
MICHAEL HAD MARKETED IT THAT WAY.
AND THERE WAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THINGS WERE REALLY MOVING ALONG IN THE CITY AND WE SAW THAT
POINT IN THE 80s WHERE THINGS KIND OF STOPPED.
RETAIL, ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN TOOK A HIT FOR ALL THESE ANCILLARY
PROJECTS AND THAT WAS THAT.
>>> BASEBALL JUST REALLY CAN'T SEEM TO GET ITS FEET UNDERNEATH
ITSELF IN THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD OR IN WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS IN GENERAL, BUT YOUR SERIES LOOKED AT BASEBALL
FIELD HERE IN SPRINGFIELD.
>>> I KNOW THERE WAS SEVERAL DIFFERENT BASEBALL PITCHES OVER
THE YEARS AGO.
I WAS STUNNED TO FIND THAT THE LATE MR.
PICKNELI SPENT A LOT OF MONEY --
>>> $850,000.
IS THAT WHAT YOU FOUND?
>> YES.
THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY FOR SOMETHING THAT NEVER HAPPENED.
>> I THINK THERE WERE SOME POLITICAL MISSTEPS.
PEOPLE STEPPING BEYOND THE BUNDLES OF WHAT THEY HAD A RIGHT
TO DO.
NOT THAT HE DID THESE THINGS BUT ON THE POLITICAL SIDE.
>>> JUST AROUND THE ISSUE.
IS THERE ANY SENSE WAS THE PUBLIC RALLYING BEHIND THESE OR
WAS THIS SOMETHING HAPPENING WITHIN THE DEVELOPERS?
>> WITH THE CASINOS PEOPLE WERE VERY HOT ON THEM.
IN PALMER THERE WAS A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT SAW THAT DEVELOPMENT
AS HUGE.
A BIG BOON TO THE REGION, WHICH IS IT'S OUT THERE IN BETWEEN US
AND WORCESTER.
IT'S THIS SPOT BUT IT'S RIPE FOR DEVELOPMENT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE REALLY PUSHING FOR THAT.
>>> A HUNDRED PEOPLE MADE THE ADRENALINES ON THIS ONE.
>> YEAH; VERY SMALL MARGIN.
AND THE BREW GROUP THAT OWNS THAT LAND IS ACTUALLY PITCHING
TO BUILD A WATER PARK THERE.
>>> RIGHT.
AND THEY HAVE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT IDEAS
FOR THIS SPOT BUT IS THAT GOING TO MOVE FORWARD?
>> THEY PRESENTED A CONCEPT, AN IDEA BUT I THINK IT'S STILL VERY
EARLY STAGES AS TO IF WE'RE GOING TO SEE THIS MATERIALIZE.
IT COULD BE UP THE NEXT FEW YEARS OR SO.
>>> WE HAVE TO SEE, RIGHT?
IN TERMS OF CASINOS WHILE MGM IS MOVING ORWARD BY ALL REPORTS,
OPENING IN AUGUST, THERE IS A PIECE OF THAT PROJECT THAT WON'T
SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY, RIGHT?
>> THIS IS TRUE.
THEY HAVE A 960 MILLION-DOLLAR CASINO IT'S BEEN BILLED AT.
THEY'VE SPENT WELL OVER A BILLION DOLLARS HERE.
ONE PIECE THAT WILL NEVER MAKE IT TO THE LIGHT OF DAY IS A 25
FLOOR HOTEL THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEVELOPED ON STAGE STREET
WHICH WAS GOING TO BE 250 ROOMS, FOUR STAR, EXCEPT IT WAS VERY
GLAMOROUS.
>>> IT WAS VERY GLITZY LOOKING.
>>> MGM VEGAS STYLE.
BIG.
THIS WAS THE CENTERPIECE OF ALL THEIR ART ITSELF RENDERING
DURING THEIR PITCH TO THE CITY, WHEN THEY WERE COURTING THE CITY
TO HAVE THAT DEAL IN PLACE.
THIS WAS AT THE CENTER OF IT.
SO WHEN THIS QUIETLY -- WILL, IT WASN'T TO QUIET BUT WHEN IT
DISAPPEARED IN 2015 IT WAS A HUGE DEAL.
>>> ANOTHER THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME WAS THE HUGE LENGTH THAT
PEOPLE WENT TO WHEN THEY WERE NOT ONLYING THEIR VARIOUS CASINO
PROJECTS.
THE ONE NEAR US HERE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE NEW ENGLAND FARM
WORKERS THAT PROPOSED THAT PROJECT, THAT LAUNCH WAS VERY
VEGAS STYLE.
>>> YEAH, THE PENN NATIONAL CONCEPT.
PLUS THE OLD PETER PAN BUS STATION.
THAT WAS A HUGE ONE.
THEY WERE IN COMPETITION AT THAT TIME WITH MGM.
>>> TALK ABOUT MONEY SPENT THAT NEVER WENT ANYWHERE.
>>> YEAH.
BUT THE CITY SHOULD STILL SEND THANK YOU NOTES TO THEM FOR
CLEARING THAT PROPERTY TO MAKE IT RIGHT FOR WHAT BECAME THE CRC
REAL COMPANY AND PROVIDING ALL THOSE GREAT HIGH PAYING JOBS.
>>> IS THERE ANY ONE IN PARTICULAR YOU GOT FEEDBACK ON.
>> YEAH.
ONE WAS A PIT FOR REDEVELOPING UNION STATION, WHICH SAT DORMANT
FOR DECADES.
IT WAS THE CARTELL FAMILY OF WHICH BRYNN CARTELLI IS ON THE
VOICE RIGHT NOW.
>>> DOING QUITE WELL.
>>> THEY OWN FATHERS AND SONS, THE CAR DEALERSHIP ON WEST SIDE
AND THE FATHER AT THE TIME HAD PROPOSED A DEVELOPMENT AT UNION
STATION WHICH WOULD HAVE PUT A HIGH END SHOW ROOM THERE.
MERCEDES, HE WAS LOOKING AT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT CONCEPTS.
A RESTAURANT, INCREASED AMTRAK PRESENCE AND TRANSIT.
BASICALLY WHAT YOU'RE SEEING NOW BUT ALSO A HIGH END CAR SHOW
ROOM.
CONSIDERING THE ECONOMIC UPS AND DOWNS BETWEEN THE POINT WHERE
THIS THIS WAS PITCH IN THE 80sS AND
NOW IN RETROSPECT IT MIGHT BE BEST THAT NEVER HAPPENED BECAUSE
THEN YOU WOULD HAVE A BIG VACANT POTENTIAL HIGH END CAR
LEADERSHIP IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN WHICH IS REALLY HARD TO
REDEVELOP.
BUT THAT STRUCK PEOPLE AS INTERESTING.
>>> IT WAS A REALLY FUN SERIES TO LOOK AT, WHAT WASN'T: PEOPLE
CAN CHECK IT OUT ON WGBY.COM.