BOSTON (AP) — A federal ruling has thrown a wrench into plans to build a casino in Taunton.
US District Judge William G. Young ruled Thursday in favor of homeowners seeking to block the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe from building the $1 billion complex.
The Boston Globe reported that Young ruled the US Interior Department “lacked the authority” to designate the land as a Native American reservation.
The department’s 2015 decision to place over 300 acres in trust for the benefit of the tribe paved the way for the First Light casino project.
The casino, hotel and entertainment complex broke ground in April, months after a group of local residents filed suit seeking to block it.
Taunton Mayor Thomas Hoye said local voters overwhelmingly approved the project and he hopes the secretary of the interior will appeal the ruling.
