LEOMINSTER — Mayor Dean Mazzarella will be discussing the proposed horse racetrack — a project that has garnered significant protests in recent weeks — on his local access TV show “Inside Leominster” on Thursday afternoon.
The show will also provide residents with a special opportunity to engage with their mayor on this issue and learn more about the proposed project.
During the two-hour episode, Mayor Mazzarella will be joined by representatives from Baystate Racing, the company proposing the horse racetrack, known as The Fairgrounds.The proposed location for The Fairgrounds would be at the former Leominster landfill site at the end of Mechanic Street, east of the Route 2 connector.
The proposed racetrack would feature a sports bar, a community event space, a full viewing deck with a restaurant, parking lots, stables, a paddock, and a venue for sports game simulators, which would be used for gambling purposes.
However, opposition to the project has been building following protests in downtown Leominster earlier this month. A petition titled “Stop Bay State Racing LLC Racetrack from Horse Racing and Off-Track Betting in Leominster” has been circulating on (link unavailable), gaining 1,113 signatures as of March 21. The petition, started by Lisa Nugent, highlights concern about the potential impact of the racetrack on the community.
The episode of “Inside Leominster” is intended to provide valuable insight into the proposed horse track and its potential effects on the community. Residents are encouraged to take this opportunity to join the conversation and stay informed.
City Councilor-At-Large David Cormier said that he has not yet formed an opinion on the project yet.
“There is still a lot of information that needs to be presented, and the Council has a lot of due diligence to do, in my opinion, before anybody should be jumping to an opinion or conclusion about a proposal or the potential of a proposal — such as the racetrack — that’s being talked about,” Cormier said in an interview. “Others find the potential tax revenue as a good thing, but there are also others that are very opposed to this idea. I guess it would be important to add that I need to hear facts when and if this is presented, we need to act on facts not emotion.”
Viewers can call in live during “Inside Leominster” on Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 4 p.m. to ask questions by calling (978) 534-1626. Questions can also be submitted in advance via email to Itv@leominster.tv, where they will be addressed on air.
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