When Chuck Hardy, attorney for HSP Gaming, the company that owns SugarHouse Casino, speaks about pile driving, he's not talking about the wrestling move.

He's talking about laying the foundation for SugarHouse, a multi-million dollar slots parlor whose development has been marred by opposition and finical woes for nearly three years.

"The pile-driving will begin," said Hardy, in a line not often heard outside the theatrical threats shouted between the turnbuckles and canvas of a wrestling ring.

Hardy was on hand at a recent meeting of Fishtown Action (FACT), held Monday evening in the Holy Name of Jesus Church, to discuss the latest step in casino construction.

That phase includes the installation of test pilings, which are used to determine how the soil at the 22-arce site along Delaware Avenue in Fishtown and Northern Liberties might support the incoming, $310 million, 1,700-slot interim casino structure.

The pilings would be the last step before the casino developer could begin construction, which Hardy announced should begin before the end of this month.

"We are very much, right now, in the home stretch," said Hardy.

In fact, he said the long-halted construction would begin once the production pilings - those used in the final construction of the casino structure - arrived at the site.

He said those pilings were currently on the way to the site and should arrive by the end of the week.

Within the next three weeks, Hardy said, SugarHouse plans to hold a groundbreaking ceremony and officially begin a construction process that could be complete in as little as 10 months.

Hardy said the casino is shooting for an opening on either June 30 or July 1, 2010.

"This is not some long, future process," promised Hardy. "This is happening now."

For months, construction was stalled, as the developer needed to secure a final $150 million in funding before building an interim structure.

But, after about a month of working with what he called "a consortium" of banks and lending institutions, Hardy claimed that the developer has potentially secured that final funding.

The developer was scheduled for a Sept. 16 hearing before the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board in order to receive approval for its financing package.

During Monday's meeting, Hardy seemed confident the funding would be approved.

"We're borrowing a lot, a lot of money to build the thing . . . We're fine," he said with a grin. "That's the plan. That's where we are and we're really happy about it."

TRICKLE IN A FEW JOBS

With the casino seemingly nearing the beginning of construction - a date some Fishtowners have eagerly awaited for about three years - residents at the FACT meeting were excited to discuss just how SugarHouse might benefit the neighborhood.