Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) has made public a master plan for expanding the operations at its Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario with a “city within a city” that would hit all the buttons.
The 684-acre racetrack site would continue to offer horseracing and gaming, while adding entertainment, dining, shopping, education, recreation, medical, cultural and residential.
Jim Lawson, the chief executive officer of WEG, wrote: “At the core of the project is the beauty of the horse. With over 2,000 Thoroughbred horses stabled on site, approximately 200 acres will continue be devoted to horse racing operations at the center of this unique development. The master plan sets out a detailed roadmap that will create thousands of new local jobs in the community, introduce new fans to the sport of horse racing, and be a transformative project for the city of Toronto in the years to come.”
WEG projects that the “City within a city” could attract up to 15 million additional visitors a year.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is currently looking for a new operator for the slots at the racino and to propose an expanded entertainment venue. It will probably name the operated before fall.
