Empire Resorts, the company that owns Monticello Gaming and Raceway, and Concord Associates today announced plans to move the gaming and racing facility to a 160-acre tract at the site of the old Concord Hotel in the Town of Thompson.
Construction on the $700 million, 1.5 million-square foot facility is expected to begin later this year with a grand opening in 2010.
Under the agreement, the parties said they will develop a “world-class gaming and entertainment facility,” which will include a 100,000 square foot gaming area, convention center, hotel, golf, retail stores, restaurants and family entertainment.
The gaming floor will be built within the hotel and a 5/8th mile harness racetrack will be developed next to that.
Officials of this new venture emphasize that engaging in this deal does not mean Empire Resorts is withdrawing from its plans to build a Native American casino at the present racetrack site with their partner St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. In fact, Empire Resorts’ CEO David Hanlon said they have offered the Tribe the opportunity to invest one-third of Empire’s contribution to the new project.
“This could be their first commercial opportunity outside their of their own reservation while waiting for the next year or two until the Kempthorne final decision is reversed by a court,” said Charles Degliomini, Empire vice president.
“This is a win across the board for Empire’s shareholders and Sullivan County’s residents,” said Hanlon. “The local economy will get the boost it needs in terms of jobs and this project is expected to enhance the value of the company for our shareholders, who will finally be rewarded for their patience in waiting for the day when we can build a world-class resort and gaming complex in the Catskills.”
Concord Associates’ Managing Member Louis Cappelli said the “ambitious project will create thousands of union jobs for the region and the Catskills.” He said the project will create “thousands of jobs throughout the entire upstate economy and bring the former Concord Hotel back to its glory as one of the region’s truly great convention, destination and resort hotels.”
(Source: MidHudsonNews.com)
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4 Responses
May this venture be met with the same delays and failures as the other Catskill gambling plans have thus far fared.
This is terrible news. What can we do to stop this abomination?
This location isn’t any better than the previously proposed site. In fact, this comes in the middle of already settled areas – right in the “backyard” of many already developed areas.
# 1 & 2 this is america not Israel & if you have a problem just move, dont forget this country opened thier doors to everybody not only for us jew.
Did it ever occur to you that the goyim said the same thing when we started to go to the Catskills, can you imagine hearing them say all of a sudden the jews are invading our territory. Would you have liked that or did you like it .
So let me remind you this is not our country we are just guests here by the grace of the USA & we have to learn to get along with our neighbors wether you like it or not & if this is a problem to you i have a great answer, just dont go to the Mountains & can you beleive i have not been there in the past ten yrs. & my parents have never been there & we dont miss anything at all & life is great in this great country.
How unfortunate that some of us think we have to have every form of entertainment & vacation, no matter at what price & that is a big problem, we have to learn to live with our guide lines & boundaries & nothing will bother you at all.