When hammers start pounding nails on the new Wynn Everett casino, the hands holding those hammers will be local hands working for a local company.

Wynn Resorts announced a major milestone in the development of its $1.7 billion Wynn Resort in Everett by naming Suffolk Construction Company of Boston as general contractor for the project.

The choice was seen by many as a huge milestone towards breaking ground on the project, a milestone that has not come without a fair amount of strife.

“Wynn and Suffolk are finalizing plans to start construction of our three-million sq. ft. project,” said Robert DeSalvio, president of Wynn Everett. “Building a five-star resort that meets the Wynn quality standards requires an attention to detail that is unwavering. Suffolk Construction shares our values and is working with us full speed to meet our groundbreaking target.”

Preparation and remediation of the 33-acre Wynn site along the Mystic River began in October of 2015 and is progressing on schedule. Construction of the Wynn Resort in Everett will generate 4,000 union trade jobs that cover 10 million total work hours. An additional 4,000 permanent operational jobs will be created when the resort is scheduled to open in 2018.

“In choosing Suffolk Construction, Wynn has demonstrated its commitment to work with local firms and Suffolk shares that same commitment,” said John Fish, CEO of Suffolk Construction. “This is a landmark project that will require a multitude of craftspeople, laborers and vendors all performing at the highest level of execution. Suffolk Construction is working with the union trades to open these opportunities to veterans, minorities, woman and all tradespeople across Wynn’s host and surrounding communities.”

Mayor Carlo DeMaria said it was another boon for the project to hire a local Boston-based company to build the casino.

“I could not be happier with the selection of Suffolk Construction to build the Wynn Casino project,” said Mayor DeMaria. “Wynn should be commended for hiring a local firm, agreeing to provide local hiring preferences for qualified residents, including union labor from local chapters and is committed to the use of local qualified price competitive local vendors. Soon we will see 33-acres of polluted, underutilized vacant land transformed by local workers into a 1.7 billion dollar resort along the Mystic River complete with a public park, bike path and board walk.”

Vincent J. Ragucci Jr. of Everett United said they were thrilled with the choice.

“This is a feather in the cap of Mr. Fish and Suffolk Construction Company,” he said. “We are extremely pleased because based on the selection there is going to be ramifications of a lot of local people getting to work on this. We couldn’t wish for anything better. Being selected was step one, being selected for it goes in Everett is step two and, now, step three is the contractor is local. What better thing could you ask for other than the temperatures jump to 80 degrees tomorrow so we can get started on construction?”

Councillor Michael McLaughlin, who represents the district where the casino will be located, said

“In the winter of 2012 when this all started it was truly a dream at best,” said McLaughlin. “Today it is a $1.7 billion dream come true. When anyone thinks of large construction projects here in Massachusetts, you quickly think of Suffolk Construction. Suffolk has had a great track record of successful projects and I have no worries that Wynn Everett will be in great hands and will become the next successful Suffolk Construction project.”