http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/s...o,821747.shtml
Aqueduct Entertainment Group, LLC. Announces Team “Best for New York”
Tue, 12 May 2009
NEW YORK - (Business Wire) On Friday, May 8, 2009,
Aqueduct Entertainment Group, LLC, submitted a bid to the State of New York to build and operate a Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) facility at Aqueduct Race Track in Queens.
Aqueduct Entertainment Group, LLC (AEG), was formed for the express purpose of bidding on, winning and building a world class gaming and entertainment destination. Partners in the effort include:
-GreenStar Services Corporation, for development, construction and overall coordination;
-The Navegante Group, as the gaming developer and operator;
-The Darman Group, Inc. and Empowerment Development Corporation, as co-developers and minority and women-owned business coordinators;
-Siemens, as technology partner;
-PS&S, to lead the architectural, engineering and environmental effort; and
-CleanPower, an environmental firm, who will employ Green Building Strategies.
-Levine Builders, will provide construction management services.
The company will be chaired by Richard Mays, a former Arkansas Supreme Court Justice and nationally known attorney.
“The collective experience of our team and the offer that we have presented the State of New York, is one that we believe that no other bidder can top,” said Mr. Richard Mays, Chairman, Aqueduct Entertainment Group, LLC. “I am so pleased that the tremendous expertise of GreenStar and the gaming knowledge of Larry Woolf and his Navegante team, enables us to guarantee that the State will not only get a VLT facility up in a timely manner, but that the returns on their investment, most importantly to education for all public school children in New York, will be the most that any bidder can provide.”
Aqueduct Entertainment Group, LLC will develop a facility to attract an audience from both the greater New York metropolitan area as well as the lucrative tourist market. In response to the State’s request, AEG is prepared to provide the State with an upfront payment as well as the promise of large returns for education.
“We are excited about participating in this bid to revitalize Aqueduct and the surrounding area,” said Larry Roman, Vice Chairman of GreenStar Services Corporation. “Our experience with large scale mixed-use facilities, public projects and high profile projects such as the Freedom Tower demonstrates that GreenStar is the best option for New York.”
The team shares a vision to create a world class gaming destination and entertainment venue in an area of New York City that has waited for years for someone to deliver on their desire to see an energized and rejuvenated Aqueduct facility for the local Queens Community.
“Developing and operating large scale gaming projects is what we do best, and have done all over the country and internationally,” said Larry J. Woolf, Chairman and CEO of The Navegante Group. “Our experience with projects such as the development and operation of Casino Niagara, the development and operation of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the operation of Caesar’s Palace in Atlantic City and our current portfolio of casinos throughout Nevada, elsewhere in the United States and internationally, should give comfort to the State of New York and the Queens community that we know how to bring the best and work with the local community to reap the greatest rewards.”
The project will also feature a Community Benefits Program designed to ensure that a percentage of the professional service contract dollars, the construction contract dollars, the retail space and the post construction contract dollars are awarded to minority and women owned businesses. As part of our program our gaming partner will implement a local resident focused workforce development initiative and we will work with Community Board # 10, The Queens Chamber of Commerce and other Queens based organizations to develop employment, training, recruitment, upgrading and referral initiatives. In addition, AEG partners are known for delivering projects on time and on budget.
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About GreenStar Services Corporation
GreenStar Services Corporation is the only full service self perform contractor in New York City. The company’s New York City based operating companies, WDF Inc. and Five Star Electric Corp., have each been leaders in the New York construction market for more than 50 years. Both companies have significant experience in public and private construction. WDF’s capabilities include general construction, plumbing and HVAC, while Five Star specializes in electrical construction. This unique combination of capabilities enables the Company to guarantee substantial completion dates and deliver the highest quality project.
Together, WDF Inc. and Five Star have completed some of the most important and impressive projects in New York City including the Time Warner Center, 15 Central Park West, Citi Field, the renovation of Yankee Stadium and the new Goldman Sachs World Headquarters. Recently they were selected to perform approximately $350 million of electrical and plumbing work at the Freedom Tower.
GreenStar will be intricately involved in all phases of the Aqueduct Project construction process - from design to completion. Their 50-year history of on-time or early completion of quality and safely built projects is unparalleled in New York. They will commit the resources necessary to achieve target substantial completion dates, as well as provide all required payment and performance bonds.
http://www.greenstarcorp.com/
About The Navegante Group
The Navegante Group is led by Larry J. Woolf the former Chairman, CEO and President of MGM Grand Hotels in Las Vegas. From 1990 to 1995, Mr. Woolf oversaw the pre-opening design, construction and operation of the famous 5000 room MGM Grand on the Las Vegas strip. MGM was not only the largest hotel in the world at that time, but was the first casino project that cost in excess of one billion dollars to develop. The Navegante Group currently operates five casinos in the United States and three casinos internationally.
The Navegante Group brings a wealth of experience to Aqueduct, having undertaken a similar project in Niagara Falls, Ontario resulting in an unmitigated success for the local area. The Casino Niagara consists of a total of 95,000 square feet of gaming space, including over 1,700 slot machines and 60 table games.
Navegante was selected over 27 other casino operators (many of whom were publicly traded) to become the sole Agent for the Ontario Casino Corporation to design, construct and manage Casino Niagara.
Navegante was responsible for planning and developing the operation of the $180 million casino, as well as overseeing the facility’s construction. Six months later, the world-class Casino Niagara opened to the public to rave reviews with 3,200 employees and all systems, internal controls, procedures and necessary supplies in place and fully operational. All of this happened ahead of schedule and under budget. The Government of Ontario was paid back their 180 Million in 180 days.
Navegante Group is comprised of seasoned gaming industry professionals. The core team is made up of personnel who have held top executive level positions with most of the leading industry operators. Navegante has been involved in numerous ground-up projects and countless gaming facility openings and the firm specialized in the hiring and training of local community members to staff its projects. They also implement state of the art problem gambling programs in conjunction with their casino developments While Navegante possesses extensive experience in gaming operations, they also bring an owner’s perspective to decision making as owners and co-investors in some of their projects.
http://www.navegantegroup.com
About The Darman Group, Inc. and Empowerment Development Corporation
The Darman Group (TDG) is a 33 year old wholly minority owned firm. It includes a consulting division and real estate development division which undertakes projects for its own portfolio. TDG has a well developed reputation for its work with public agencies and is generally recognized in the New York City construction industry as one of the premier sources of expertise in the area of regulatory compliance requirements and diversity management initiatives.
Over the years they have authored programs for a number of major governmental agencies and several private developers and major contractors. Included in their list of projects as consultant is the multi-billion dollar Battery Park City, the billion dollar plus MetroTech Center in Brooklyn, New York and, most recently, the New Nets Arena and Atlantic Yards Development project which includes an unprecedented community benefits program.
TDG will be working in joint venture with Empowerment Development Corporation as co-developer of the project. Empowerment Development Corporation was created by Rev. Floyd H. Flake to pursue private community development initiatives. Rev. Flake has pastored The Greater Allen Cathedral for more than 30 years. During that time he has been responsible for the development of more than 1300 units of housing as well as commercial and institutional projects in the borough of Queens. In total his projects amount to more than $150 million dollars of completed developments.
DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY
TDG’s development portfolio contains the following accomplishments to its credit in the role of developer:
Bronx, NY - Redevelopment of a mixed-use 188 unit housing project with 4,000 square feet of retail space
Queens Village, NY - Redevelopment of a building materials supply house
Rochester, NY - Redevelopment of an office building
Manhattan - Redevelopment of a 50,000 square foot office building in lower Manhattan
TDG is the only African American owned development company to be pre-qualified by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) to develop projects on State University Campuses.
www.thedarmangroup.com
About PS&S Design
Paulus, Sokolowski and Sartor (PS&S) will provide architectural, engineering, and environmental consulting services to the Aqueduct Project. The firm and its affiliates, with offices in Westbury and Yonkers NY, is ranked among the Top National Design Firms by Engineering News Record and is listed in the top 15 engineering firms by Building Design and Construction.
PS&S has provided total building and site design and environmental permitting services for a large number of world-class gaming and hotel facilities. In Atlantic City, PS&S has successfully stewarded the most complex and demanding projects from the concept and permitting stage through to design and completion. Beyond Atlantic City, their portfolio includes corporate conference centers, resorts and hotels, large retail developments, sports stadiums, and athletic fields. Their extensive experience in the gaming industry gives them the knowledge and understanding to efficiently respond to the complex project needs specific to this market in the fast-pace it demands. PS&S understands the gaming industry. Representative clients and projects include: Atlantic City Hilton, Bally’s Park Place Hotel/Casino, Caesars Atlantic City, Red Bull Soccer Stadium and the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, to name but a few.
For the Aqueduct project, PS&S and Clean Power will employ their jointly-developed Green Building Strategies to reduce the environmental impacts of the development and reduce the building’s operating and life cycle costs, enhance occupant comfort and health, and improve occupant productivity.
http://www.psands.com
About Siemens
Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) is a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, and operates in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors. For more than 160 years, Siemens has built a reputation for leading-edge innovation and the quality of its products, services and solutions. With 428,000 employees in 190 countries, Siemens reported worldwide sales of $116.6 billion in fiscal 2008.
With its U.S. corporate headquarters in New York City, Siemens in the USA reported sales of $22.4 billion and employs approximately 69,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Siemens has more 3,000 employees in 63 locations in New York State and is a proud member of the Partnership for New York City.
www.usa.siemens.com
About Clean Power
Clean Power, Inc. is a total energy solution provider. We provide planning, design, building, operations, maintenance and financing to fulfill the renewable energy needs of large energy sector participants. By integrating all available, logical, and synergistic alternative energy solutions, each client will be availed of the most up to date and relevant access to the alternative energy solutions they need. Our experts in data collection and planning provide the client with the confidence that their energy solution is specific to their needs and location. At the same time, our expertise in financial markets, municipal bonds, and regulatory bodies allows Clean Power to deliver the most productive financial packages on the market. The result is a product that is financially sound and meets the real goals of each client.
www.createcleanpower.com
About Levine Builders
This innovative, Queens-based company, founded in 1979, has successfully built, renovated and rehabilitated thousands of residential units and millions of square feet of commercial space, including hotels, office buildings, retail centers, religious, educational and healthcare facilities.
With integrity and ethics, Levine Builders has been providing general contracting and construction management services throughout the tri-state area for the last 25 years. Today, Levine Builders, and its affiliates, Douglaston Development and Clinton Management, are going strong. The diversity and range of work includes everything from luxury high-rise residential housing, hotels, affordable housing, assisted living facilities, as well as retail, mixed-use developments including the largest development built in Harlem in the last 20 years, and the restoration of an architectural landmark, 90 West Street, to its pre-9/11 glory. Douglaston Development is pioneering premiere new neighborhoods in Clinton, West Chelsea, Midtown Manhattan and Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Clinton Management, through the incorporation of new technology and standardization of procedures, provides state-of-the-art management services to the Levine organization.
Levine Builders has evolved into a full service company, with our staff being our greatest asset. We have a full array of experienced personnel providing expertise in all facets of the construction industry and related issues. In addition to our skilled management and field personnel, we have an in-house risk management department, a knowledgeable IT department that maintains pace with the latest technologies available, as well as an expediting department, which is led by our Building Codes Consultant, a registered Expeditor with the Department of Buildings.
Douglaston Development, an affiliate of Levine Builders, is currently developing The Edge, a $1 billion two-phased mixed-use project on the waterfront in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which includes a water taxi landing, piers, and an esplanade. The Edge will consist of 347 moderate-income rental apartments, 1,100 luxury condos, 60,000 sf of retail space as well as parking for in excess of 600 cars.
http://www.levinebuilders.com