By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

Three years ago, Scarborough resident Bob Tourangeau was looking for a new career. With 25 years experience raising harness racing horses and only one mare left in his barn, Tourangeau said he was “ready to quit” the horse breeding business. That is, until the grand opening of the Hollywood Slots facility in Bangor. 

Now he said he has several of the top rated harness racing horses in the state and is hoping to bring them to a new racino at the center of the proposed 500-acre “Scarborough Village” in the future. 

“[Racinos] help grow the business,” he told Scarborough town councilors last week. “We are a positive industry and we deserve the right to be in business.”

Fellow horse breeder Sarah Nehila said she also hoped to see the Scarborough Village project come to life, as attracting more people to the racetrack would result in more bets and increase the purse money received by horse breeders, jockeys and others. She said Scarborough Village would benefit many other small businesses related to the field, including local blacksmiths, grain and hay providers and the many hands it takes to keep a barn running. 

While the proposed development – featuring senior housing options, industrial and retail space and a potential $8 million tax benefit to the town – has support from equestrians, other residents feel different about the project. 

Scarborough resident Gary O’Donnell said he did not support the proposed Scarborough Village development for the sole purpose of supporting “a failing business model.” Scarborough Village Partners Spokesperson Gene Beaudoin said the project could help the racetrack recover from a “declining attendance” in past years.

“[Scarborough Downs] is failing. Businesses go under all the time,” O’Donnell said. “If the business isn’t viable, it should fail. Let it go out of business.”

Resident and business owner Jim Damicis said he opposed the development due to his belief that a “town center,” – as the project has been referred to by Beaudoin – could not be purposefully created by a single developer.

“Main Streets are historical, they take a long time and many different businesses,” Damicis said. “I know Main Street Walt Disney is not real, these developers don’t seem to realize that. This is not Walt Disney.”

Several other residents said they agreed with the recent Scarborough Economic Development Corporation ruling that the Scarborough Village development was not in the best economic interest for attracting high-end retail and industrial developers. In response, Beaudoin said the first stage of construction would involve installing $30 million in infrastructure – creating lucrative sites for future tenants. 

“The reality is Fairchild Semiconductor is well aware of this project and is coming anyway,” he said. 

Beaudoin said it would take less than one-fifth of 1 percent of the developer’s total investment to build the proposed slot machine facility.

“We’re very careful about where the money is going,” he said.

The town council approved adding the question concerning a zone change allowing slot machines at a gambling facility on a separate ballot available during the Nov.4 referendum with a 4 to 1 vote on Wednesday. Councilor Richard Sullivan was absent and councilor Carol Rancourt - despite advise from legal counsel that failing to set a date to hold the referendum could result in legal repercussions for the town - voted against setting a date to put the question to the voters. 

“I’m opposed to racinos,” Councilor Judith Roy said. “Hopefully it will be a resounding ‘No’ to this question.”

Council Chairman Jeff Messer said even if slot machines are approved by voters on Nov. 4, the state legislation would then have to take action and extend their deadline to approve “controlled gambling” in municipalities, followed by the consent of the governor and put to yet another public referendum. 

“Ultimately it will be the next council that will have the final say,” Beaudoin said. “Be careful what you hear.”