Proposals pile up ahead in upstate region
Officials in Montgomery County, New York, are lobbying for one of four casino licenses to be handed out this fall by the state’s new gaming commission.
Ken Rose, director of Montgomery County’s Business Development Center, has joined with local real estate broker Mick Mullins and “an undisclosed property developer” to lead the charge for a license, according to the Gloverville Leader-Herald. They have pinpointed several sites, including 512 acres in the adjacent towns of Amsterdam and Florida, and 171 separate acres in the town of Florida.
“Obviously, location is key, and that spot has access right off the highway,” said Rose. “There’s infrastructure capacity there and the market studies are telling the group what they can potentially generate from that site, which makes them feel that that’s the best site in the Capital District for a casino, let alone the one that’s going to have the most economic impact for a region.”
Florida Supervisor Eric Mead said he supports a casino “because of the jobs, first and foremost.”
“The jobs that would come out of this for Montgomery County and the impact that it could have on that area alone would be huge,” he said. “That’s what we need for this county. I just want to see this help the economy here.”
Other regions are not as enthusiastic, and the vote is split in some of them. Among the counties in the Capital District, Schenectady and Washington counties voted no to the casino in November’s election. Saratoga County voted yes, but the community of Saratoga Springs, which has a racino that could be upgraded, came out against a Class III license. Schoharie County also voted yes in November, but no at its Board of Supervisors meeting earlier this month, reported the Leader-Herald.
Rensselaer County and Albany County voted in favor of a gaming hall. Sullivan and Ulster counties in the Catskill region are all in, with a number of bidders lining up to restore historic Borscht Belt resorts.
One proposal for the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes region would site a new casino in Tyre, Seneca County, between Rochester and Syracuse. Residents of Tyre, which is under consideration for a gaming hall, are “bitterly divided” on the issue, reports InnovationTrail.org.
One resident and casino opponent said, “We have people whose family farms have been here since the land grant from the war of 1812. And they’re still here. The same families are still farming this.” The resident added that a casino would change the town’s fundamental way of life.
In Saratoga Springs, the Downtown Business Association has joined the City Council of the historic community in opposing a Vegas-style casino. On March 3, the DBA board voiced their “strong and valid concerns regarding displaced businesses” that could result if a Class III casino comes to town.
“Unless operational arrangements, binding agreements and assurances can be made with these entities, the DBA cannot support any entity, competing community or project that is looking to take consumer traffic or economic development from the downtown corridor,” according to a resolution approved by the board members.
The double-barreled opposition could dash the hopes at Saratoga Raceway, which wants to win one of the first four casino licenses up for grabs in the Empire State. The New York State Gaming Commission requires that applicants “illustrate to the board’s satisfaction that local support has been demonstrated.”
Last November, Saratoga voters failed to support Governor Andrew Cuomo’s sweeping gaming referendum, which will ultimately bring seven full-scale gaming resorts to New York State.
DBA President Jeff Clark told the Saratogian he is “concerned” about plans by Saratoga Casino and Raceway to add a 108-room hotel, 24,000 square feet of event space, and two eateries. The move has been widely interpreted as laying the groundwork for a Class III license.
“If they take business away from the City Center, that of course will take business away from downtown shops and businesses,” Clark said.
“For me, quality of life doesn’t mean more gambling culture,” added resident Jonathon Newell.
Racino officials say the expansion plans will move forward regardless of whether they are licensed for table games.
City Council recently authorized a non-binding resolution that opposes “the Upstate New York Gaming Economic Development Act as it relates to a destination resort casino being placed in the city of Saratoga Springs,” according to the Albany Legislative Gazette.
In 2012, before Mayor Joanne Yepsen took office, council members passed a resolution to support live table games in the city.
