The Oneida Indian Nation July 21 announced a $370 million capital investment in expanding its Turning Stone Resort Casino in upstate New York over two years. It will be the largest expansion in the casino resort’s 30-year history.
It will break ground next year.
It will include a new 77,000-square-foot conference center, outdoor event space and a hotel. According to the tribe the investment will have a $616 million one-time economic impact while creating 3,600 construction jobs and $22.1 million in state and local taxes.
According to a statement from the Nation, “this reinvestment will be a complete evolution of the region’s premier resort destination with a new conference center, outdoor event spaces, hotel, and more to fully reimagine Turning Stone for generations to come.”
As part of this process, Oneida Nation Enterprises, the development arm of the Nation, will become Turning Stone Enterprises.
Oneida’s partner will be the architecture and design firm Gensler.
The project will double the resort’s conference square footage including a new Grand Ballroom and a terrace with a view of the Shenandoah Golf Course and The Lodge’s Great Lawn. There will also be a new parking structure with 2,000 spaces.
According to the statement, once completed, the project will make the conference center the largest convention space in upstate New York.
The construction of The Crescent, a Four-Diamond hotel, will include 258 rooms, a lobby with a fireplace, and the Salt Seafood & Raw Bar. The existing The Lodge will be renovated and the existing hotel will be rebranded as The Brook, a tribute to the area’s waterways.
In December of this year The Lounge with Caesars Sportsbook will relocate to Turning Stone’s Exit 33, NY Rec & Social Club, which was previously the Lava Nightclub. The sportsbook will have 60 hi-def TV screens, fan caves, pool, foosball, shuffleboard and arcade games, along with an outdoor patio with fire pits.
Oneida Indian Nation Representative and Oneida Nation Enterprises CEO Ray Halbritter said in a statement: “The Turning Stone Evolution is much more than just an expansion.” He continued, “It is nothing less than a full evolution of the region’s premier destination and its role as an economic leader. Together with our existing facilities and partnerships, the new conference center will make Turning Stone and Central New York an even more desirable destination for larger and more prestigious events.”