Steve Wynn proposes riverfront casino in Philadelphia

The Las Vegas casino operator confirmed in a telephone interview yesterday that he will file an application with the state's Gaming Control Board to secure the city's second casino license. He said he has an option for the parcel of land controlled by builder James Anderson on North Beach Street, just north of Penn Treaty Park.

He added that Wynn Resorts will present the Nutter administration with a local impact report. This would be the second time around for Wynn. In April 2010, Wynn came forward as a partner to salvage the Foxwoods Casino project, but eventually dropped out of that deal.

An artist rendering of the project, Wynn said, will not be ready until Tuesday. But he added that the hotel for "Wynn Philadelphia" would resemble the company's Encore hotel in the Chinese city of Macau.

The deadline for filing a casino application with the state is November 15. Two other contenders already have come forward with plans, including local developer Bart Blatstein and a partnership including the company behind Parx Casino and the Cordish Cos. of Baltimore.

Wynn said he would build a 13,935 sqm casino for 2,500 slot machines and 100 table games. The hotel would have 300 rooms. "It's such a perfect site," Wynn said. "It allows for the kind of growth and the creation of a destination resort that these local casinos haven't done before."