BOSTON -  Bill Walczak, candidate for mayor of Boston, today offered his alternative to the proposed Suffolk Downs casino. Nearly one week after announcing his opposition to a casino in East Boston, Walczak highlighted his reasons for opposition, as well as an alternative plan to create jobs in East Boston’s Suffolk Downs property.

 Walczak detailed what could be accomplished with an alternative plan such as creating an East Boston Innovation District, modeled after the successful South Boston Innovation District.  Such a district could stimulate job creation in the technology, clean energy, and light manufacturing (such as small-scale medical devices) sectors and provide career pipelines for students at Boston’s high schools.

 Additionally, with its proximity to Logan Airport and to Boston’s populous Spanish-speaking neighborhoods, an Innovation District could leverage these factors to create and enhance the international business connections Boston has with Central and South American based businesses.

 “Our burgeoning world-class city should not have to settle for the hollow promises and false nirvanas of casinos, when we can build what our communities need and want,” said Walczak. “We can create the same number of construction jobs and long-term jobs for working families with this design or others.  This model represents only one option.  I want the neighborhood to decide what it wants and I believe that has yet to happen – so I am starting the conversation today.”

 This type of business district brings benefits without the negative economic and social impacts of a casino.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average national yearly salary for a gaming dealer is $22,410 while that of a medical device manufacturing technician averaged $50,930 a year. Walczak additionally noted that the average yearly cost of housing in Boston is $22,500.

 “We need to look to other uses for the Suffolk Downs property to provide economic development and good jobs – not a casino disguised as a theme park,” said Walczak.  “Casino jobs cannot sustain families. We need jobs that sustain working families and gives them an opportunity to live in the town they work in.”