For a fourth casino, Seneca compact would need revision
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says he is “open to listening” to complaints about a possible Indian casino in Henrietta, Monroe County. The governor also says he’s preoccupied by the quest for four viable Class III licensees in the upstate region.
When asked about the Seneca Nation’s plan for a casino and hotel in Henrietta, Cuomo dodged the question. “Right now, we just went through a casino plan that is being implemented statewide and we don’t have any immediate changes to that plan,” he said. “We’re just going to be executing the plan that we’ve laid out.”
Pressed for further comment, Cuomo said, “There’s numerous hoops that would have to be jumped through first. It’s not that we’re not open. We’re just proceeding with the plan that we laid out. Obviously, if someone has a new idea, we’re always open to listening to ideas. But we have a very good plan on the table, and we’re executing the plan that we have.”
The Senecas just invested $2.7 million on a vacant plot in Henrietta. According to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, the town’s board will create a resolution opposing the project this week.
The Senecas’ 2002 compact with the state gives it the right to operate three casinos in western New York. It currently runs casinos in Buffalo, Salamanca and Niagara Falls, and would need tor revise its compact in order to add a fourth.
Though Henrietta may be opposed to a casino, the community of Gates is not. According to WHEC News, Gates Town Supervisor Mark Assini is touting “a perfect site for them in the town of Gates. It’s absolutely perfect.”
Assini is referring to the Rochester Tech Park, formerly the Kodak Elmgrove site. “It has ample acreage for building a new casino, and there’s four million square feet of existing buildings so they could possibly renovate an existing building,” Assini said. “There are all sorts of options.”
He said a casino in the town would bring in “1,000-plus jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue in a time when we’re struggling. The economy is struggling, where families are looking for jobs. I think it would be a great opportunity.”
Some residents oppose a casino that would compete with the Finger Lakes racino, which employs a number of Gates residents.
“This region is oversaturated with casino gaming, and another facility will cause irreparable harm to thousands of businesses, families and municipalities throughout the region,” said Michael Nolan, executive vice president of the Western Region Off-Track Betting Corp.
