An outdoor adventure park and a synthetic ski slope could be just some of the elements of a new development the Mohegan Tribe will undertake on the old Norwich State Hospital site.
A tentative development deal was announced late last week between the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority and the town of Preston, which currently owns the 400-acre site on the Thames River.
Tribal Chairman Kevin Brown held a press conference Monday morning on the deal.
"Everyone that’s lived in Southeastern Connecticut for the last 20 years has already thought of all of the possible things that we might be able to do with this property," he said, to general laughter. "We are now in a position to make that happen."
The Mohegan Tribe has actually been interested in the derelict hospital site, directly across the river from their Mohegan Sun casino, for at least the last decade.
Brown said the inflection point in moving from talk to action came far away in Asia.
"I’ve been saying for some time that success begets success," he said. "When we won the gaming license in South Korea at Incheon, it opened incredible doors for us."
That success in signing a deal to build a mega-casino at South Korea’s biggest airport has given them connections with developers who can make things happen at the Connecticut site.
But Brown would only discuss limited details about what that might be. It definitely won’t include another casino, but it could encompass recreation, entertainment, restaurants, and housing for people 55 and older.
"There are a number of things our guests are looking for so they can have a more holistic experience that takes us outside the demographics that we have now," he said.
Brown also foresees opportunities for business development on the site.
More details should come as the plan is formalized within the next six months.