http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008..._with_pro.html
A little bit of Vegas in Queens with proposed racino at Aqueduct
Renderings of proposed racino that would accompany Aqueduct race track in Queens.
Inside of racino that will have 4,500 slot machines and giant buffet key draws.
BY KENNETH LOVETT
October 13th 2008
Here's a first look at a proposed new Las Vegas-style video slot machine parlor at Aqueduct race track in Queens.
The 330,000-square-foot "racino" will boast 4,500 video slot machines, says would-be developer Delaware North of Buffalo.
Like Vegas, food will be a key draw, with a 25,000-square-foot buffet with seating for 600 people, plus a steakhouse and Italian and Asian restaurants.
The facility, which is expected to draw 20,000 people a day and generate $1 million a day in revenue for the state, will also include a large food court, several bars and a stage for entertainment.
And
it will be accessible by car, bus and subway.
Gov. Paterson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver picked Delaware North's proposal over two other bidders last week.
But Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos has balked, saying that while Delaware North would provide more money upfront, the plan may not be as good in the long run.
Unlike the other finalists, Capital Play and SL Green, Delaware North has not come up with plans for the site beyond the video slot machine parlor, Skelos noted.
Delaware North officials said Monday that while the company submitted no additional plans, it intends to ultimately build a "world-class, four-star conference center and hotel facility."
In June, the firm hired The Peebles Corp., said to be the country's largest African-American real estate development company specializing in urban redevelopment.
Chairman and CEO Donahue Peebles said he is designing plans that would include a 3,000-seat theater for concerts and boxing. There would also be a 60,000-square-foot conference and meeting facility with a ballroom, a 5,000-square-foot spa and a 2,000-space garage.
In addition, Peebles said, there would be 15,000 square feet of "boutique retail" along the entrance to the racino - with more once the hotel is built.
"The idea is to take Aqueduct and make it a world-class destination attraction," he said.
Delaware North and Peebles hope to meet with Skelos this week to outline their plans.
Once the final approvals are in place,
it should take 12 to 14 months to build the racino, said Delaware North Cos. Gaming & Entertainment President William Bissett.
He said Delaware North and its partners have cash reserves and lines of credit that would let them pay the state $370 million upfront and build the $250 million racino, which will open first. The hotel, conference center and a possible regional shopping center would follow within five years, Bissett added.