Long-Delayed Encore Boston Harbor Expansion Project Back on Track
Posted on: January 6, 2026, 10:12h.
Last updated on: January 6, 2026, 10:28h.
- Encore Boston Harbor will build additional hotel rooms
- The casino will help pay for a commuter rail stop in Everett
Encore Boston Harbor has been mulling an expansion across the Mystic River in Everett for several years. Those plans are back on track.
After years of back and forth between the casino’s parent company, Wynn Resorts, and the City of Everett, with plans perpetually changing, Mayor Carlo DeMaria (D) says the sides have reached a deal.
Under the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), Wynn Resorts is cleared to construct up to two new hotels on Wynn-owned property along Lower Broadway. No new gaming areas are allowed.
In exchange for the additional hotel privileges, Encore Boston Harbor will pay up to $25 million toward studies and the construction of a commuter rail stop with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
This agreement reflects years of work to ensure that any future development delivers real benefits for Everett residents,” said DeMaria. “This agreement not only secures new sources of tax revenue, supports job creation, and advances a long-anticipated commuter rail stop, but it also helps ensure that additional contaminated land is cleaned up and returned to productive use for our community.”
Wynn Resorts didn’t comment on the MOA nor detail the number of hotel rooms it will build.
Encore Boston Expansion
Wynn Resorts invested $2.6 billion to open the luxury integrated resort in June 2019. The company was fined $35 million before its opening in relation to the sexual misconduct scandal surrounding Steve Wynn. The Boston casino, originally to be named Wynn Boston Harbor, was subsequently changed to Encore Boston Harbor.
Encore quickly became the top casino among the three in Massachusetts. As a result, Wynn sought to expand the property.
In 2022, Encore pitched plans to build two additional hotels with a combined 800 guestrooms, multiple restaurants, a 200-seat comedy club, a roof deck day club, a nearly 1,000-seat theater, and an indoor nightclub. A standalone poker room and sportsbook across Alford Street, connected by a pedestrian skybridge, was also touted.
The initial plan called for approximately 1.8 million square feet of additional indoor floor space. However, there were concerns about whether Wynn’s gaming license allowed for gaming on the property across Alford St. Local opposition from theater groups and nightclubs also fought against the plan.
After years of negotiations, DeMaria and Wynn have found middle ground.
“A key component of the agreement is a commitment to advance a full-service, full-time commuter rail stop adjacent to Encore Boston Harbor, a long-sought transportation improvement for the Lower Broadway area. Wynn has agreed to fund up to $25 million toward required studies and construction of the commuter rail stop, subject to approvals by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and an agreed-upon project scope,” DeMaria said.
“The proposed hotel developments are also expected to support job creation, including opportunities for union labor, and long-term economic growth along the Lower Broadway corridor,” the mayor added.
Steep Rates
Encore Boston Harbor has 671 guestrooms, which are often sold out. Because of the demand, Wynn has managed to charge hefty rates for its Boston hotel.
Rooms rarely go for less than $350 a night, with weekend stays often $700 or more per night.
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