Bangor grants Hollywood Slots liquor license

BANGOR – Another piece of the planning puzzle fell into place for Penn National Gaming Inc. when city councilors voted Monday night in favor of a liquor license for Hollywood Slots at Bangor.

Hollywood Slots, which will house about 375 slot machines, is set to open in November in the former Miller’s Restaurant building on Main Street.

Penn National passed its biggest remaining regulatory hurdle last week, when the Maine Gambling Control Board unanimously granted the Pennsylvania-based company a state slots operator license.

In other meeting business, councilors also voted to accept from Bangor Savings Bank an inscribed park bench in memory of Ronald Raymond, a longtime city motor pool mechanic who died last December while on the job at Norumbega Parkway.

Raymond’s wife, Nancy, works at the bank’s State Street branch.

Also Monday, the council:

. Approved a new five-year lease with LifeFlight of Maine LLC for the use of space in the corporate aviation hangar at Bangor International Airport. Under the agreement, LifeFlight will continue to pay an annual lease rate of $32,100.

. Granted Bangor Gas an easement allowing the utility to cross city land as it brings gas service to the Affiliated Healthcare Systems facility now under construction on Union Street.

. Appropriated $319,163 for an engineering contract with Edwards and Kelcey, which is designing a terminal apron reconstruction project at BIA.

. Awarded a $2,088,767 construction contract for the apron reconstruction project to low bidder Lane Construction Corp. of Meriden, Conn.

. Amended the land development code to reduce outdoor entertainment setbacks in some of the city’s commercial districts.

. Approved a liquor license for Chopsticks, a restaurant opening soon at 167 Center St.

. Approved a $1,850 grant for the University of Maine Art Museum, as recommended by the city’s cultural development commission. The funds will be applied toward a $4,000 comprehensive art education program for third-graders enrolled in Bangor public schools.