Casino Talk: Putting Middleboro on the Map
shotgunflat is located in Middleboro, Massachusetts, a smallish town best known for cranberry bogs, Tom Thumb, and Little League Baseball.
We’re located right in the middle of town—a downtown that really needs a boost. Recently, we’ve seen some improvements to the downtown area, specifically by way of some new retail shops like Hollyberries (a gift shop) and David Alan Salon; rennovation projects on several facades; and an art gallery boasting fine art from more than 40 local artists. Not long ago we were invited to join the Downtown Middleborough Business group, and we’re excited to be a part of a downtown on the mend.
But in all reality, Middleboro stood to remain in relative anonimity, until, of course, the casino talk started. Not long ago, hundreds of acres of land were purchased from the town by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. At this time, the town and the tribe are negotiating an agreement that would allow for the tribe to further their plans to build a world-class casino resort in Middleboro. The town is buzzing. Reporters and young ladies asking voters to sign petitions are a regular sight in front of the post office. The town is quite divided. Bumper stickers read “NO CASINO” on some cars, and “Casino-friend.com” on others.
Of particular interest to us is the fact that both groups have created websites (here and here) to make their cases. And while both sites are seriously hurting in the design and information architecture departments, it’s really interesting to find two grassroots groups in a town known for anything but tech taking advantage of the web.
It’s hard to predict what will happen with the casino project. One way or another, the decisions made this year will affect this town for generations.