“We were told early on that you can’t come here and make a big box where everyone goes in, disappears for a few hours and then they leave,” Clinton said.
“Our plan assumes that we would leverage that arena,” Clinton said. Because of its small footprint, MGM would not be able to build its own large performance space, leaving room for the Webster Bank Arena to host acts drawn by the casino. MGM Bridgeport would include 2,000 slot machines, 160 table games, a 700-seat theater, 300-room hotel, retail and dining options, in an attractive, scenic location, creating a new tourism. The casino plan could also benefit existing venues. By that point MGM and RCI were deep into talks. In July, the chain said it was instead headed to Milford, with officials saying that space was going to be ready sooner. Then this past April, Mayor Joe Ganim announced that Dave & Buster’s - which includes a restaurant as well as arcade games and TVs - was coming to the site. In 2009, former University of Connecticut basketball player Tate George headlined a $30 million, 152,000-square-foot proposal for an “urban shopping center.” But George was indicted in 2011 on charges of running his business as a Ponzi scheme, and later found guilty of wire fraud.
