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Connecticut Developers Cash In on Casino Boom10 December 2001CONNECTICUT – Dec. 10, 2001 --The phenomenal success of the Mohegan Sun casino has spawned a hotel boom in the once-rural town of Montville, Conn., where along a one-mile stretch of Route 32 two hotels have opened this year and two others are on the drawing boards, even as Mohegan Sun develops its own 1,200- room hotel tower a couple of miles away. "The 105-unit, all-suite Best Western Cristata has opened at Route 32 and Fort Shantok Road, and a 120-unit Microtel Inn and Suites opened just south of Route 2A. Two other developers have regulatory approvals for their plans: one for a 158-room hotel on the east side of Route 32, the other for a 54- unit hotel on the west side. A fifth hotel with 120 units is planned for the same area, but just over the town line in Norwich. "…Deborah J. Donovan of Connecticut's Mystic & More Convention and Visitors Bureau, said there had been some concern about the impact a recession and the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 might have on development, but so far no effect has been discernable. "…The Sun is only a few miles from its only Connecticut competition — Foxwoods Resort Casino, across the Thames River in Mashantucket, within the town the Ledyard — and the two casinos are driving much of the hotel business in the area. "…Josephine R. Gustavsen, the owner of Oakdale Realty in Montville, said the residential market in town was also benefiting from the presence of the casino. A three- bedroom house that sold for $110,000 a year ago would now easily command $140,000, she said. "…The two casinos together draw more than 70,000 customers a day, which is spurring hotel development throughout New London County. There are plans for new hotels in a half-dozen towns as close as Norwich and as far away as Niantic. As recently as 1995, there were about 2,000 units of hotel or other lodging in all of New London County, but by the end of this year the total could top 6,400 units. "Clearly, Montville will have the most significant concentration of new and proposed hotels, however. The situation is in marked contrast to what happened around Foxwoods, where the hotel development took place on the casino property, and there are few new hotels in the immediate area. "…Mitchell Etess, vice president for marketing at the Sun, said he welcomed the nearby developments, because with 35,000 people a day at the casino, the 1,200 rooms planned on the grounds will not be able to accommodate all the business…" |