Mass Live reported that the city of Springfield was promised three thousand jobs by MGM when they were granted the license to construct their $1 billion resort. This number is recorded in the host community agreement between MGM Resorts International and the city. However, this number may not be realistic, according to MGM Resorts International CEO and President William Hornbuckle.
Hornbuckle Commits to Reviving the Property
William Hornbuckle attended a meeting with Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and other officials. The meeting took place during MGM’s Red Sox Winter weekend and just before a legal sports book opens on the MGM Springfield property on January 31, as part of Massachusetts’ legal sports gambling market launch.
Despite the current performance of MGM Springfield, Hornbuckle affirmed both his personal and the company’s dedication to the property and listed steps they plan to take in 2023 to improve, including extended restaurant hours and reopening attractions at the nearly five-year-old casino.
In the first quarter of 2023, MGM plans to open TAP Sports Bar for lunch on Thursdays and Fridays and extend hours at Roasted Bean coffee shop to 10 pm seven days a week. It will also allow walk-ins at Top Golf, open TAP Bowling seven days a week, and open Indian Motorcycle retail.
In the second quarter, there are plans to open Chandler Steakhouse on Thursdays, the Hotel Lobby Bar from Friday to Sunday, and finalize a plan to reopen Kringle Candle. These plans are aimed at increasing employee numbers and making Springfield a more attractive destination.
Hornbuckle Says the Realistic Goal is 2000 Employees
At the meeting, Hornbuckle also acknowledged that the original estimation of the market was inaccurate and that if the market conditions were fully understood at the time, the casino may not have been built.
He stated that a realistic goal for the number of employees at MGM Springfield is 2,000 and that reaching 3,000 would require making Springfield a more attractive destination, which cannot be achieved solely by the casino.
MGM Springfield initially opened with about 3,000 employees in 2018, but the number then decreased, to just 700 employees after the COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020. Currently, the employees at MGM Springfield are circa 1,400 with an additional 279 open positions, which are expected to be filled.
Hornbuckle acknowledged that MGM needs to improve communication with the city and potential employees to improve the performance of MGM Springfield. Mayor Sarno deemed the meeting productive and praised Hornbuckle for committing to reviving the property after it had begun to decline even after COVID restrictions were lifted.
In December, MGM was criticized by state representative Bud Williams as MGM Springfield did not meet the goal of offering 3,000 jobs, which was set upon receiving its license.