By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

Last week Scarborough Downs revealed its plan to develop more than 200 acres of currently undeveloped land into Scarborough’s “town center” – including retail, industrial and office space, senior housing, public safety buildings and a community center. Gene Beaudoin, spokesperson for New England Expedition – the developer behind the Cabela’s property and Scarborough Downs’ partner for the proposed project – said the proposed $1 billion, 20-year project could eventually provide the town with “hundreds of millions” of tax dollars, possibly even an entire school budget.

“[The Scarborough Downs Village project] could potentially solve school [funding] problems for all time,” he said. 

The catch: at the center of the Scarborough Downs Village project, a new gaming facility would be incorporated to the racetrack.

“Slots are a part of the deal,” Beaudoin said.

It isn’t the first time Scarborough Downs – which Beaudoin said has seen a decline in attendance during the last few years – has tried to increase its revenue by adding slot machines to the facility. In 2003, Scarborough Downs collected enough signatures from the community to have a question allowing the racino added to the November ballot, but the proposal was defeated by an 11 percent margin.

“Just mentioning a ‘racino’ is causing angst in a lot of sections of the community,” Town Council Chairman Jeffrey Messer said.

Former Town Councilor Mark Maroon said while he “has no problems” with gambling in general, he is wary of any development that feels it necessary to “buy its way in” to town. 

“They paint a beautiful picture with bright colors, but we don’t need to develop that land. They are creating a sense of urgency to develop for reasons that aren’t really there,” he said. “It’s about money. Why don’t they tell the truth and talk about that.”

Maroon said the fact Beaudoin resisted Messer’s suggestion to exclude slot machines from the development requirements if the town created a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District for the project – similar to the Cabela’s TIF – made him even more certain “Scarborough Downs Village” would be aimed toward making profit for the Scarborough Downs company rather than what was good for the town. He said people could be more likely to spend money at the slot machines rather than a local Bingo hall, Lions’ club or other non-profit programs.

“When you mess around with a stable environment you cause problems,” he said. “When you eliminate 10 to 15 percent of the discretionary income out of the regular economy, it’s going to affect the surrounding communities.”

In comparing the proposed “Scarborough Downs Village” with existing racinos, Beaudoin and Saco’s Richardson and Associates Landscape Architects spokesperson Emma Kelley visited the recent Hollywood Slots development in Bangor. The size of the “relatively small” Hollywood Slots building and multi-level parking structure – the entire facility would fit into just one corner of the Scarborough Downs property – impressed Beaudoin, he said. 

“From a crime standpoint we haven’t seen much of an impact,” Bangor Deputy Chief Peter Arno said of Hollywood Slots facility built two years ago. 

According to Bangor police records, officers most often are called to the facility to deal with intoxicated patrons – 21 calls since August 2007. They also received reports of 10 motor vehicle accidents and nine reports of disorderly conduct, according to the records.

“Compared to any other facility that serves alcohol, it really hasn’t been a burden,” Arno said. 

Arno said he believed most racino patrons were significantly older than those who frequented night clubs and bars, which he said are more likely to be the scene of a disturbance. 

Beaudoin said Hollywood Slots was “worth the trip” for residents who had concerns about the impact a racino could have on the town, but Kelley said the final “Scarborough Downs Village” project would more likely resemble the Saratoga Springs racetrack in New York. 

“It’s a place families come to,” Kelley said. “It’s a beautiful spot and has a lot of history.”

Incorporating a senior housing facility into the development could satisfy a growing local demand for more housing options for Scarborough’s aging population, Beaudoin said. 

“The senior housing component is key, there seems to be quite a push for that recently,” he said.

The development would also include a connector road from Scarborough Downs Road to the Haigis Parkway, where a public safety and community center building could also be constructed, Kelley said. 

Beaudoin said Scarborough residents would receive informational brochures and should feel encouraged to attend future local public forums about the project. 

“This isn’t how this usually goes,” he said. “Normally I walk into town with a tenant in hand.”

Hoping to include residents in the development of the proposed “Scarborough Downs Village,” Beaudoin said the owners of Scarborough Downs decided against a presenting a preconceived “cooked deal” development to the public, and were taking a “top down” approach. 

“We’ll be out there,” he said.