ALBANY—Some arriving by tractor-trailer, a total of 16 development teams involving 17 potential casino projects filed applications for up to four casino licenses in three districts in New York State to the state Gaming Commission here.
Unofficially, a total of about 25,000 pounds of paper was submitted to the Schenectady-based loading dock of the New York State Gaming Commission by the 4 p.m. deadline yesterday, according to the Albany Times-Union.
The deadline for filing applications to the New York State Gaming Commission was June 30. The commission's Gaming Facility Location Board will hold hearings that will include oral presentations by the applicants on or after July 21 and is scheduled to make its selection of gaming facility operators in the early fall. The Gaming Commission will select a total of as many four destination gaming resorts in Upstate New York, including at least one casino in three districts: Capital, Catskills/Hudson Valley, and Eastern Southern Tier. Therefore it is possible that one district could be awarded two gaming licenses.
The Catskills/Hudson Valley region, which is the district some gaming observers believe could land two gaming licenses, saw eight development teams propose nine casino resort projects. Five development teams proposed six casino resort projects in Orange County, with Genting proposing separate projects in Tuxedo and Montgomery. There were two proposals submitted by separate developers for different parcels at the former Concord Hotel in the town of Thompson in Sullivan County. Rounding out the proposals for the Catskills/Hudson Valley is a plan by Nevele-R LLC for a casino and spa at the former Nevele Resort in Ellenville in Ulster County.
There were a total of five proposals for casino resorts in the Capital District and three proposals for a casino in the Eastern Southern Tier.
Many of the development teams released statements regarding their submissions. In the Catskills/Hudson Valley district, the 11th hour frenzy by developers to obtain land and secure necessary local resolutions of support from municipalities resulted in a total of six possible casino sites in Orange County, which could thwart Sullivan County's decades-long campaign to bring casino gaming to help revive the still struggling former Borscht Belt resort region.
Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus released a statement concerning the casino applications from Orange County, saying, “Orange County casinos can create more jobs than any other in the state as well as compete with future gaming projects in New York City. Interest in our quality workforce and superior infrastructure has meant that, unlike other areas, we do not need tax breaks to bring gaming to Orange County. If the law is followed, Orange County is the obvious location for a casino.” For more details on the casino filings in New York State, see story in the Albany Times Union.
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