Interesting article in the August 2006 issue of Next American City.

http://www.americancity.org/article.php?id_article=177


Here's a taste to see if its worth your time to read


Issue 11 - Suburbs - August 2006
PHILADELPHIA: Gambling on Philadelphia's Future: Can Casinos Fit into a Big City Downtown?
by Joanne Aitken, Harris Steinberg, and Elise Vider
Philadelphia doesn’t need to become the next Atlantic City. Even without casinos, Philadelphia has had plenty of success. Over the last ten years, this city of 1.5 million has experienced an urban renewal that has made it one of the most attractive and livable cities in the country. Now, however, legalized gambling is coming to Philadelphia - and its impact is a crapshoot.

In July 2004, the Pennsylvania State Legislature passed a law allowing the creation of fourteen gaming establishments, two of which must be freestanding 5,000-slot parlors in Philadelphia......

A Future Worth Gambling On

In the 1990s, Philadelphia was flirting with bankruptcy and reeling from decades of population and job loss. To encourage development, the city in 1997 and 2000 passed a ten-year property tax moratorium on most new construction and rehabilitation projects, fueling a real estate boom. In Center City, thousands of new housing units, including row houses, high-rise towers, and office-building-to-condo conversions, have been built, leading to a significant increase in downtown population. A dizzying variety of new restaurants, arts venues, retail, and nightlife have sprung up. And the streets have become cleaner, safer, and more pleasant....