Tens of thousands turn out to celebrate grand opening of Encore Boston Harbor

EVERETT, MASS. (WHDH) - After years of construction, Encore Boston Harbor officially opened its doors to the public Sunday morning during a celebration that is expected to draw more than 50,000 people.

The $2.6 billion casino is the first in the Boston area and one of the biggest private developments in state history. 7NEWS got a sneak peek last week of the most expensive resort opening in the United States this year.

Aside from the glitzy casino floor, the Encore has plenty of amenities, including spas, clubs and high-end stores and restaurants.

“This was not about gambling,” Wynn Resorts President and CEO Matthew Maddox said. “This is about economic progress and urban renewal.”

Wynn purchased the waterfront property in 2015.

They spent the following years turning an old chemical wasteland into a posh destination that Mayor Carlo DeMaria says will revitalize the area.

“It was a disaster, it was polluted, it was leeching into the Boston Harbor,” DeMaria said. “They built the living shoreline, they built the 6-acre community park for the residents.”

The development is 3 million square feet and features more than 3,000 slot machines, 143 table games, and 671 hotel rooms.

The rooms in the hotel range in price from about $600 a night to more than $10,000.

The artwork includes a one-ton Popeye sculpture, which was moved from Wynn Las Vegas, worth more than $30 million.

“I scoured the globe finding objects just like the China trade did from this very center, to bring wonder and beauty back to Boston and we did just that,” Roger Thomas, Executive VP of Design, Wynn Resorts, said.

The new casino’s 3,000 parking spaces won’t be able to accommodate the crowd that’s expected to turn out, and police are asking anyone planning to attend to leave their cars at home.

“When you look across the board, it’s on the water,” Robert DeSalvio, Encore Boston Harbor President said. “It’s buses, it’s motorcoaches, it’s a neighborhood shuttle system running 24-hours a day connecting us to the silver line in Chelsea. We’re really encouraging folks to try something different. Leave the car at home, and use Mass Transit.”

Those who lined up early this morning say they were excited to enjoy poker, slots, and the overall experience.

“I just wanted to be one of the first few people because as long as this place is I’ll be able to tell my kids someday that I was the fourth person to ever step foot in the casino for the opening, it’s just something that you can hang on to,” said Matt Capozzi, who is attending the casino grand opening.

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