The anti-casino organization “A Better Rochester” says it’s collected more than 12,000 signatures on a petition calling for a citywide referendum against a downtown Rochester casino.
If the signatures are all valid under state elections law, that would be three times the number needed to force the referendum. The group says it plans to do so if the City Council votes in favor of a casino at Midtown Parcel Five. It wants to amend the city charter to ban casinos from Rochester.
Mayor Lovely Warren has said the city received proposals from the Seneca Nation of Indians and from a group of developers for the last undeveloped part of the old Midtown site. The Senecas proposed a casino and performing arts center; the developers a performing arts center.
The mayor said neither was what she thinks the city needs and she reopened the bidding process.
“A Better Rochester” says Mayor Warren has held closed door talks with the Senecas to develop a downtown casino.
The group includes Wilmorite, the developers of the Del Lago Resort Casino project in Seneca County.