NEW YORK | Resorts World New York (Casino)

[NYguy]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/10/14/2007-10-14_local_tribe_ready_to_roll_dice_on_casino.html

Local tribe ready to roll dice on casino bid at Aqueduct

BY TRACY CONNOR
October 14th 2007


A Native American tribe is set to drop a bombshell bid to build and run the city's first casino — a $1.4 billion gaming palace at Aqueduct Racetrack, the Daily News has learned.

The last-minute proposal may be a long shot, but the Shinnecock Indians are hoping to entice the city and state with the prospect of a half-billion dollars in revenue a year.

The tribe also is dangling another sweetener: a promise to drop its fight to build a casino on its ancestral lands in Southampton, which has roiled the playground of the rich and powerful.

The Shinnecock bid, which will be submitted to the state tomorrow, aims to upend plans for a smaller video-lottery complex at the Thoroughbred race track in Ozone Park, Queens.

Three companies are expected to submit bids to run that lottery facility, a racino slated to have 4,500 video terminals.

But the Shinnecock — who are teamed with a Michigan sports mogul who operates a Detroit casino — have a far grander vision rivaling Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

The bid calls for a million-square-foot casino with 10,500 slots, 350 gaming tables and 12,000 employees. A 1,200-room hotel and other amenities would be built with community input, the tribe says.

"It would be great for the City of New York," said Fred Bess, a Shinnecock trustee. "New York is tired of watching all the gaming revenues going to Atlantic City and Connecticut."

Though casinos are illegal in New York, federally recognized Indian tribes can build gambling facilities on their reservation land.

In 2003, the Shinnecock sparked an uproar by breaking ground for a casino on an 80-acre parcel called Westwood on the east end of Long Island.

The town of Southampton and the state responded with a federal lawsuit seeking to stop the tribe. A trial ended in May, and a decision from the judge could come any day.

The Shinnecock believe they are likely to win the case — and they are also hopeful about a pending suit that lays claim to 2,800 acres of Hamptons land and demands billions from the state for seizing it.

The litigation, they believe, can be used as leverage to forge a deal on Aqueduct. Powerful opponents of a Hamptons casino theoretically would lobby for the Shinnecock to run a facility in the city instead.

But even if the political stars aligned, the Shinnecock would face another stumbling block: They must be federally recognized as a tribe to open a casino.

A federal judge's ruling recognized the Shinnecock in 2005, but the tribe is still trying to force the U.S. Department of the Interior to acknowledge it. A lawsuit was filed last year.

Bess said he is optimistic the tribe can negotiate a global settlement with the state and feds — giving it tribal recognition and making the land around the racetrack reservation property.

"I think it's a good shot and anybody who looks at it will have to give serious consideration," Bess said.

The Shinnecock have no experience running a casino but they have partnered with Gateway Casino Resorts, a venture of Michigan business mogul Marian Ilitch.

Ilitch, who co-founded Little Caesar's Pizza and owns the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Red Wings, owns the MotorCity Casino Resort in Detroit and should be considered a serious player, an industry analyst said.

"They're kind of a small company but I think they have a lot of respect," said Roger Gros, publisher of Global Gaming Business magazine.

He said MotorCity has performed as well as the MGM Grand Detroit under Ilitch's control. "That has really impressed me," he said.

The Aqueduct bid estimates a full-size casino would bring in $2.1 billion annually. The city and state would share a 25% kickback from the $1.5 billion generated annually by the casino's slot machines and would receive added tax revenues.

By contrast, the video lottery racino that opened at Yonkers Raceway last October with 5,500 terminals grossed $350 million in its first year.

The Shinnecock would have nothing to do with horse racing. Gov. Spitzer has endorsed a plan for the New York Racing Association to continue operating the track.

Other players in the hunt for gambling gold

Before the Shinnecock Indians entered the fray, three private companies were vying to run the gambling operations at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Empire Racing, Excelsior and Capital Play all submitted proposals to take over horse racing at Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga and run the video lottery terminals at Aqueduct.

But Gov. Spitzer has recommended the New York Racing Association keep the horse-racing franchise at all three tracks — and a separate contract be awarded for the video slots.

The deadline for bids is tomorrow. It's unclear who will step forward. But here's a look at the companies that have expressed interest:

Excelsior

Backed by Las Vegas casino developer Steve Wynn, the group also includes politically connected gaming developer Richard Fields.

Empire Racing

A Saratoga-based coalition of horse-racing and gambling interests. Churchill Downs and thoroughbred breeder Marylou Whitney withdrew last week.

Capital Play

An Australian-based gaming company allied with real estate developer Stephen Ross and the Mohegan Sun.

There were reports last week that Capital Play and Empire Racing may join forces.

[NYguy]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/10/14/2007-10-14_local_tribe_ready_to_roll_dice_on_casino.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/img/2007/10/14/graf_aqueduct.jpg


http://www.nydailynews.com/img/2007/10/14/graf_gambling-map.gif

[Scruffy]

could you imagine. getting all dressed up to go to the casino, and then hop an A train to Ozone Park! haha. the fact that its so close to manhattan is a major boon. but that is such a crappy neighborhood, the calls that its going to bring in the wrong crowd is not an exaggeration. ive been in that area many times, if you want to see what you're getting, check out the OTB in the area and see the future clientele

[NYguy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/05/nyregion/05track.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin

Short on Cash, State Hastens Plan for Casino in City

By DANNY HAKIM
May 5, 2008


For New Yorkers, a casino will soon be a mere subway ride away.

Or a racino, to use the gambling industry’s term: a gambling emporium built into the Aqueduct thoroughbred track in Queens that will include 4,500 video slot machines, but no table games.

Desperate for revenue, the state has put plans to develop a racino at Aqueduct on the fast track. While the plan has been at various stages for years, state officials are aiming to choose among the three bidders vying to develop the racino in a matter of weeks, though final agreements among state leaders often prove elusive in Albany.

But given the weakening economy and widening budget deficits, the state is motivated to expedite the process, and a bidding group led by the developer Stephen L. Green and the operators of the Hard Rock Cafe chain is even promising to open a temporary racino by the end of this year.

At stake is the $10 billion to more than $20 billion in revenue that the state will reap over the life of what would be a 30-year lease, depending on which bidder is making the projections, as well as an upfront licensing fee.

“We would hope that in roughly a year we’d have a facility open,” said Paul Francis, director of operations for Gov. David A. Paterson. There are several racinos in the state, but none at the three state-owned thoroughbred tracks: Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga.

Like many issues decided in the capital, the bids are secret — beyond what details the bidders were willing to release — and the winner will be chosen behind closed doors by the so-called three men in a room who run the state, Governor Paterson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, both Democrats, and the Senate majority leader, Joseph L. Bruno, the state’s top Republican.

Because the process is private, it will not be clear to what extent merit or political influence and campaign contributions affect the decision making. The secrecy, Mr. Francis said, “will help the policymakers make a decision on the merits of the proposals rather than on a political campaign that seeks to promote the merits of one bid and the demerits of an alternative proposal.”

The bids range in ambition. All of the bidders are proposing renovating the aging facilities with enough of a gloss to entice a flurry of traffic before considering a second phase of development. The state will raise $250 million through a bond offering for the construction project.

Connecticut’s Mohegan tribe, which operates the giant Mohegan Sun resort and casino, is part of a bidding group called Capital Play, which has an ambitious plan to transform Aqueduct over the next several years into a Mohegan-style entertainment complex. The group even talks of extending the AirTrain from the nearby Kennedy International Airport to the Aqueduct site. Their bidding group includes Extell Development, a major Manhattan-based real estate developer, and Plainfield Asset Management, a large hedge fund.

But the group’s upfront bid is on the low end, a $250 million investment that includes a $100 million licensing fee and $150 million to redevelop the site. The state is already counting on a $250 million licensing fee to balance the budget.

To sweeten the pot, the group is promising to spend an extra $25 million to $30 million a year on marketing above the state’s requirements, which it believes will bring in substantially more revenue over time. The group also says it intends to spend an additional $700 million on a second phase of development within a couple of years, which would be used to add a hotel and mall.

“You have to build a hotel, and retail, so it becomes a Mohegan-style complex, so it’s not focused on gaming as much as entertainment,” said Karl O’Farrell, the president and chief executive of Capital Play. “There will be good-quality restaurants, nightclubs.”

“We want it to be J.F.K.’s waiting room,” he added.

Another bidder, Delaware North, has a more scaled-back but also more immediately lucrative proposal. The group, owned by the Jacobs family of Buffalo, would pay the state a $370 million licensing fee upfront, though it would not use more than the state is offering through its bond sale to develop the site.

The group envisions a racino similar to a popular one it operates in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., which is attached to a harness racing track, and would include a large parking deck.

“It’s going to have a lot of electricity, a lot of lights and a lot of entertainment,” said William J. Bissett, president of the gambling and entertainment division of Delaware North. “It’s going to feel like a place you want to be.”

The third bidding group includes Hard Rock International, which was acquired by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in 2006, along with the real estate firm SL Green.

The group is offering $250 million as a licensing fee and a $130 million investment in the construction project. In addition, it is proposing to spend $28.5 million to finance upstate horse farms and breeding, which could appeal to Mr. Bruno, who is himself a horse breeder upstate. The group says it would spend $30 million to $100 million over the life of the lease on capital improvements.

This group is proposing to open a temporary gambling floor by the end of the year while it works on overhauling the existing facilities. And, in a proposed second phase of development, it would add a Hard Rock Cafe.

With so much money on the line, there has been a whisper campaign as the bidders vie for supremacy, and even resentment among local New York tribes that bristle at the idea that the state would let an out-of-state tribe run the racino.

“This is a New York project,” said Frederick C. Bess, chairman of the Shinnecock Indian Nation on Long Island, which has sought to develop a casino at Aqueduct and elsewhere but lacks federal tribal recognition. “I would think if any tribes would be considered, it would be a New York tribe.”

Some critics also suggest that the Mohegan Sun group would not aggressively compete to keep New Yorkers here since its business in Connecticut has been enriched by cross-state traffic.

When asked about the issue, Marc Holliday, the chief executive of SL Green, said, “I think that it’s in the interest of New York State to have a gaming operator whose sole focus is going to be on maximizing revenues at the facility in New York City and not have any competing operations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut or other competing areas.”

Mr. O’Farrell said, however, that Mohegan’s database of its New York customers and its system of rewards points, which can be used at any Mohegan resort, would be a competitive advantage.

The bidding process is the latest step in the state’s tortuous oversight of its thoroughbred racing franchise. In February, after years of delay, the state granted a 25-year extension to the New York Racing Association to oversee racing at the state’s three thoroughbred tracks. The association has been plagued by scandal and mismanagement and is in bankruptcy court.

While racing has often been a sinkhole for taxpayers, state officials would like to see the Aqueduct racino — and its 4,500 video lottery terminals, referred to as V.L.T.s — help plug a $5 billion deficit projected for next year.

“The State of New York has made it crystal clear to us they want revenue generated as soon as possible,” said Mr. Bissett, of Delaware North.

John McArdle, a spokesman for Mr. Bruno, said: “The sooner there’s an agreement, the sooner we can get V.L.T.s up and running and have revenue for the state. That’s the bottom line.”

[FerrariEnzo]

quote:the calls that its going to bring in the wrong crowd is not an exaggeration

the type of crowd that walks in and wastes money at slots etc is exactly the crowd they want... do you think the casino cares if some of the clientelle are sketchy? no

[NYguy]

the type of crowd that walks in and wastes money at slots etc is exactly the crowd they want... do you think the casino cares if some of the clientelle are sketchy? no

I haven't been there, but they've had a lot of success with Empire City in Yonkers. My childhood neighborhood was in the area (South Ozone Park) and I still go there sometimes to visit, so this is interesting to me.

With that location, in the country's biggest city, it's a guaranteed success, something else to put Queens on the map. No doubt half of Brooklyn will be there...;)

[antinimby]

Shoot. They should include table games also.

Casinos and gambling in the city is good. It'll keep some of the money in-state instead of going to NJ and CT like it does right now.

[NYguy]

http://www.saratogian.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19868305&BRD=1169&PAG=461&dept_id=602469&rfi=6

Governor gets gaming report

By PAUL POST
07/24/2008


A report on bidders seeking Aqueduct's gaming contract is in the hands of the state's top leaders, indicating that a decision might be made soon.

After conducting background checks, the state Lottery Division has deemed each of three bidders qualified to run Aqueduct's proposed 4,500 machine video lottery terminal facility.

Lottery's report, following review by the state Inspector General's Office, was given to Gov. David Paterson, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, R-Long Island, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, several days ago.

"At this point they can begin to have discussions about which one will be best for the state," said Morgan Hook, a Paterson spokesman. "I wouldn't put a timetable on it."

The bidders are Delaware North Companies, partnered with Saratoga Harness Racing Inc.; SL Green Realty Trust and its partner, Hard Rock Entertainment; and Capital Play Inc. partnered with Mohegan Sun casino, Extell Development and Plainfield Asset Management.

Paterson, Skelos and Silver discussed VLTs during a more than hour-long meeting, focused on the state's economy, at the governor's mansion on Sunday, Hook said.

"The three of them can sit down and meet any time," he said. "It's not that hard to arrange."

____________________________________

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2008/July/24/Reviews-of-Aqueduct-racino-bidders-now-complete.aspx

Reviews of Aqueduct racino bidders now complete

by Paul Post
July 24, 2008

Background checks were conducted by the state Division of Lottery, which oversees video lottery terminal operations. Aqueduct is slated to get 4,500 machines that are expected to generate more than $450-million per year.

Lottery’s report, following review by the state Inspector General’s office, was sent to Paterson, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Long Island), and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), within the past few days.

“At this point they can begin to have discussions about which one will be best for the state,” said Morgan Hook, a Paterson spokesman. “The three of them did discuss it briefly on Sunday.”

The trio met in person at the governor’s mansion in Albany. Talks focused on the state’s fiscal condition, the economy, and property taxes. Aqueduct is a closely related subject because New York is facing a nearly $5-billion budget deficit and loses $1-million each day that VLTs are not operational.

“If that [racino] had been up five years ago we’d be $2.5-billion better off in this state,” former Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno said recently.

Lottery’s report concluded that each bidder is qualified to run Aqueduct’s gaming facility. The selection requires approval from all three state leaders.

Entities seeking the contract are Delaware North Companies, which is partnered with Saratoga Harness Racing Inc.; Manhattan’s SL Green Realty Trust and Hard Rock Entertainment, which is owned by Florida’s Seminole Indians; and Capital Play Inc. and its partners: Mohegan Sun casino of Connecticut, Extell Development, and Plainfield Asset Management.

Delaware North owns Finger Lakes Racetrack, the state’s only Thoroughbred venue that currently has gaming, located southeast of Rochester in upstate New York. Delaware North also runs VLTs at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, a Saratoga Springs harness track directly across the street from Saratoga Race Course.

The company is counting on these ties to help it win the Aqueduct contract. However, Capital Play/Mohegan Sun touts its experience in the New York City marketplace, saying it already has a large, well-established customer data base to draw upon.

Likewise, SL Green is one of New York’s largest owners of commercial real estate and has 67 properties in the greater metropolitan New York area. Hard Rock’s highly successful and well-recognized name is a cornerstone of the group’s bid.

There are no indications, however, about which entity might have an inside track with state leaders and while Lottery’s report is complete, there’s no guarantee that a decision will be made soon.

“I wouldn’t put a timetable on it,” Hook said. “The three of them can sit down and meet any time. It’s not that hard to arrange.”

Racino construction is expected to take at least a year, meaning a facility could be operational by late 2009.

[J. Will]

could you imagine. getting all dressed up to go to the casino, and then hop an A train to Ozone Park! haha.

Dressed up to go to a casino? From my experience most casino patrons are very casually dressed, often time wearing track pants and sweatshirts.

It's not at all like in the movies.

[NYguy]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/10/13/2008-10-13_a_little_bit_of_vegas_in_queens_with_pro.html

A little bit of Vegas in Queens with proposed racino at Aqueduct

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/10/14/alg_racino.jpg

Renderings of proposed racino that would accompany Aqueduct race track in Queens.

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/10/14/amd_racino.jpg

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.

[NYC4Life]

NYC should legalize gambling. So much potential it could have for this city.

[NYguy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/nyregion/24aqueduct.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin

Casino Complex to Be Built at Aqueduct

By JEREMY W. PETERS
October 23, 2008

After seven years of political wrangling and delay, a deal to build a casino at the Aqueduct racetrack is now in place.

Under a contract announced by the Paterson administration on Thursday, a Buffalo company will construct a complex featuring a 184,000-square-foot gambling floor and 4,500 video gambling terminals, multiple restaurants including one with a 600-seat buffet, at least 300 hotel rooms and a 60,000-square-foot conference center.

The Buffalo company, Delaware North, said it planned to start construction in early 2009 and finish the casino, its adjoining restaurants and the parking structure in about a year. The project will be completed in phases within five years, it said.

In its promotional material, Delaware North has boasted that the complex will be “all right in the heart of Queens,” a subway ride away on the A train. The track is in South Ozone Park just northwest of Kennedy Airport.

For the casino itself, gamblers should think more arcade than Atlantic City. There will be no blackjack tables with dealers, or roulette wheels. Instead the casino will have video-screen terminals that will accept money for virtual hands of poker and other games.

Delaware North operates a similar hybrid racetrack-casino — known as a racino — in Saratoga Springs. The company beat out two other bidders — the commercial real estate firm S L Green Realty, in partnership with Hard Rock Entertainment, and Capital Play, which had joined with Mohegan Sun.

State officials said Delaware North prevailed because it was offering more money in advance: $370 million for its license to operate the casino and entertainment complex.

“They offered the most money up front,” said John D. Sabini, chairman of the New York State Racing and Wagering Board. “And I think that’s important to the state because of the financial situation we’re in.”

In addition to the up-front payment, the state expects to reap more than $10.3 billion in revenue from the gambling terminals over the next 30 years.

Though the State Legislature has already trimmed more than $420 million in state spending this year, Gov. David A. Paterson said this month that the faltering economy had opened a new $1.2 billion hole in the budget.

After the Aqueduct negotiations hit a snag two weeks ago when Senate Republicans said they wanted more time to review the plan, Mr. Paterson and fellow Democrats accused Republicans of dragging their heels and delaying the start of a project that would create about 1,000 construction jobs at a time when employers in New York are shedding workers.

“This deal will provide a critical revenue stream — especially given the financial crisis that is battering our state and nation,” Mr. Paterson said in a statement,

The push to build a casino at Aqueduct began in 2001, when in the weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks the Legislature began passing laws that would allow for a major expansion of the state’s gambling industry.

In approving the deal, the state once again finds itself turning to gambling to strengthen its weakened cash flow. But with New Yorkers expected to spend less as the financial crisis expands, Delaware North’s president was asked on Thursday whether a casino could remain a steady source of state revenue during an economic downturn.

“Clearly the gaming business is not a recession-proof business,” the president, William J. Bissett, told reporters in a room overlooking the neatly groomed racetrack at Aqueduct.

“There is a large population that will have an easy means to get to this location to entertain themselves,” he said. “We take comfort that, even in a recession period, the fact that Aqueduct sits where it does in a huge metropolitan community buoys our confidence that we will be successful here.”

The project is expected to create about 2,000 jobs in Queens. About half those jobs would be permanent jobs at the casino complex once it is fully operating, and the rest would be construction jobs.

“The ultimate goal, of course, is not only to create revenue for the state but to create jobs,” said State Senator Serphin R. Maltese, a Republican from Queens. “So as far as economic development, I think you can put it in big letters: J-O-B-S.”

Mr. Maltese, who is locked in a competitive re-election battle that may decide which party controls the Senate next year, objected to the Delaware North proposal two weeks ago after Mr. Paterson and the Democratic-led Assembly signed off on it.

At the time, Mr. Maltese and other Senate Republicans said they were not convinced the plan included enough economic benefit for the Queens community. So the developers agreed to put more of their plans in writing, including the proposal for building the hotel and convention center and a community advisory board to inform Delaware North on their satisfaction with the development. In addition, the company agreed to open an office in the community that will make it more convenient for people to apply for a job.

[NYC4Life]

GlobeSt.com

UPDATE Last updated: October 27, 2008 04:54pm
Delaware N. HQ Expands as Part of $371M Plan


http://www.globest.com/newspics/nyc_aqueduct.jpg
Aqueduct rendering

By Natalie Dolce

QUEENS, NY-Gov. David Paterson revealed on Monday that Delaware North, which was selected to operate the 328,000-sf Video Lottery Terminal facility at the Aqueduct Racetrack, as GlobeSt.com previously reported, will add 50 jobs at its Buffalo-based headquarters. The company will also look to break ground on the new facility in Queens by early 2009.

The selection of Delaware North was made by Gov. Paterson, Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos last week.

Delaware North will invest $370 million up-front to build and operate the VLT facility. As part of the development package, Delaware North will use the services of the Peebles Corp., an African-American-owned real estate development company, and McKissack & McKissack, an African-American, woman-owned professional design and construction firm, according to a prepared release.

Funds from the VLT facility at Aqueduct "will provide sustained resources for elementary and secondary education, while also supporting the operation and improvement of the three thoroughbred racing facilities," according to a statement. Once operational, the VLT facility is expected to bring in at least $8.2 billion for education over the next 30 years.

According to the current education funding formula, the Buffalo City School Districts would receive allocations of $4.4 million and Erie County School Districts would receive $11.8 million during the first year that video lottery terminals are up and running.

A Delaware North spokesman tells GlobeSt.com that completion is expected in early 2010. The spokesman also notes that the 50 jobs added in the Buffalo area will support construction management, technology, marketing, human resources and gaming management needs at Aqueduct.


Copyright 2008 ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved.

[NYguy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/news/story?id=3940952

Company updates Big A casino plan

By Matt Hegarty
February 27, 2009


Delaware North Cos., the racetrack and casino operator, is updating its plans for a casino at Aqueduct racetrack in New York City but has still not finalized an agreement with the state on the casino's operation, officials for the company and Aqueduct said on Friday.

Workers for the company have made several visits to Aqueduct within the last week to conduct architectural surveys, according to Ron Sultemeier, a Delaware North vice president, and Aqueduct officials. The workers updated architectural drawings and collected information for the company's zoning and permit applications, Sultemeier said.

Delaware North was selected late last year to build and operate the casino. The company, however, has yet to sign a memorandum of understanding with the state that would allow construction to begin. Complicating the situation is the possibility that the state will approve slot machines at nearby Belmont Park, which would create competition for the Aqueduct casino.

Sultemeier said that a range of issues are involved in negotiating the final agreement, including when the company would make a $370 million payment to the state that it pledged at the time it won the bid for the casino in October.

Sultemeier said that none of the issues was threatening the viability of the company's proposal.

"We're certainly spending a lot of money," Sultemeier said. "But there are still a lot of major steps to get done before we can put a shovel in the ground."

Slot machines were legalized at nine New York racetracks, including Aqueduct, in 2001. The Aqueduct casino., however, has been stalled by political and financial issues surrounding the New York Racing Association, which operates Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga.

[NYguy]

http://www.costar.com/News/Article.aspx?id=F90E05B753BA1D964BDFF0421B3D6146

Study Backs Belmont Park Rasino Plan

http://gateway.costar.com/imageviewer/GetImage.aspx?webimage=belmontpark.jpg

By Randyl Drummer
February 24, 2009

A new report recommends that a casino and hotel be built at the Belmont Park racetrack in Nassau County to generate jobs and revenue for state and local government.

Options for the redevelopment of an approximately eight-acre parcel adjacent to the racetrack grandstand include a hotel and racino, according to the Belmont Park Redevelopment Study, released this week by the Empire State Development Corp. and the New York State Racing and Wagering Board.

Redevelopment options for a larger parcel of about 28 acres include retail, a small hotel, senior housing and recreational opportunities.

Before the project can go to bid, however, the state and other stakeholders must conduct further financial and economic feasibility analysis to determine a preferred option based on the most marketable and beneficial uses for the property. Once that once is approved by the state, requests for proposals could go out, followed by a public and environmental review process.

New York Gov. David A. Paterson said Belmont Park is an enormous economic development asset for the state, and "in these times of fiscal crisis, it’s important that we move forward with projects like Belmont, which can create new jobs, generate additional tax revenue and bolster economic development in the surrounding communities in Nassau and Queens Counties."

Although Belmont Park is the third jewel in racing's storied Triple Crown and has been an enormously successful horseracing venue for more than 100 years, "its full development potential has never been realized," said John Sabini, chairman of the state Racing and Wagering Board. With the study, "we are reawakening this sleeping giant of a state and community asset," Sabani said.

_________________________

Here's the Belmont sudy (http://www.empire.state.ny.us/Belmont/default.asp).

[NYguy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/nyregion/11aqueduct.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion

Lack of Financing Scuttles Deal for Casino at Aqueduct

By DANNY HAKIM
March 10, 2009

ALBANY — Scratch those plans for the first casino on a subway line in New York City — at least for now.

Plans to build a casino at the Aqueduct racetrack in Queens have collapsed, the latest victim of the financial turmoil that has tightened the credit markets.

Delaware North, the Buffalo company that was contracted to build and operate the casino, has not been able to get the financing to raise the $370 million it was to pay the state upfront, officials said. That leaves the state with yet another hole to plug in its ever-leakier budget.

“Today we informed the governor’s office that we are unable at this time to conclude a memorandum of understanding with the state to develop the Aqueduct facility,” William Bissett, Delaware North’s president, said in a statement. He added that “there has been a deterioration of the credit and equity financial markets in this recession economy which has caused Aqueduct Gaming L.L.C. to restructure the timing for its financial offer.”

The company had offered to proceed with the deal but delay its upfront payment; the state, however, was said to be concerned about a legal challenge if it allowed the winning bidder to alter the terms of its deal.

A spokesman for Gov. David A. Paterson expressed disappointment in the news from Delaware North, but said the state remains committed to Aqueduct’s redevelopment. He said the state would reopen the bidding process to find an operator for a casino at the racetrack.

In October, the Paterson administration announced that it had a deal in place with Delaware North to build an elaborate gambling complex at Aqueduct, appearing to end a nearly seven-year political battle over the project. The project was first pitched in 2003, during the administration of Gov. George E. Pataki, during a previous budget crunch, and it was also pursued by Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

The casino was to include a 184,000-square-foot gambling floor and 4,500 video gambling terminals as well as restaurants, a hotel and a 60,000-square-foot conference center. Construction was to have started early this year. Delaware North operates a similar casino in Saratoga Springs.

Critics have said that the state should not turn to gambling to fill its coffers, particularly in a recession. But the lure for the state is clear: It expected to take in billions of dollars in revenue over the next few decades.

A more immediate problem is replacing the $370 million that the state had expected to receive upfront. Now lawmakers will have to make due without that money three weeks before the end of the fiscal year and the state budget deadline.

“We now have another hole to fill,” said Assemblywoman Audrey I. Pheffer, a Queens Democrat whose district includes Aqueduct.

“I’m very disappointed, I’m very upset, I’m really angry,” she said, but added, “I don’t know who to blame.”

Delaware North intends to stay with the process. It beat out two other bidders last year.

Referring to the governor’s office, Mr. Bissett said, “While we disagree with their conclusion that a rebid is necessary, we nonetheless remain interested in developing Aqueduct and look forward to continue work with administration to achieve that goal.”

[NYguy]

http://www.globest.com/news/1392_1392/newyork/178178-1.html?sector=newyork

Bidding Reopens on Aqueduct Racino

By Paul Bubny
April 20, 2009

NEW YORK CITY-The state is seeking new proposals to build and operate a 328,000-square-foot video lottery terminal facility at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, following the collapse last month of Delaware North’s deal to develop the racino there. Applications are due by close of business on Friday, May 8.

"Growing our economy through job creation and economic development projects such as the implementation of VLTs at Aqueduct will move our state toward the type of new economy New York needs to get back on track," says state Senate majority leader Malcolm Smith in a release. "Though it is disappointing that the process has been slowed due to the struggling economy, I am confident that we can find a new partner to build Aqueduct into a gaming location that bolsters the local and state economy." Citing difficulties in obtaining financing, Delaware North pulled out in early March after announcing that it would miss the deadline on a $370-million upfront payment to the state.

An updated version of the state’s memorandum of understanding was made public on Friday. Under the revised MOU, the state would enter into a 30-year agreement with the winning bidder, with a possible 10-year extension. The winning bidder would pay the full amount of its proposed upfront franchise fee no later than 10 business days after the execution of the MOU. The state would issue $250 million worth of personal income tax bonds through the Empire State Development Corp. to finance eligible VLT project costs.

The racino facility would be constructed by the VLT vendor, "which will be responsible for its design and construction subject to the terms of the MOU and applicable laws and regulations," according to a release. Neither ESDC nor the state will be responsible for construction or cost overruns, the release states.

Bidders on the project may propose modifications to this MOU, and the proposed changes will be considered by Gov. David Paterson, Smith and Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver. The three men will also decide the winning bidder.

To review the solicitation letter and MOU, visit www.ny.gov/governor/aqueduct.

[NYguy]

http://www.globest.com/news/1393_1393/newyork/178215-1.html?sector=newyork

SL Green Brings Suit Against Delaware North

By Cody Lyon
April 21, 2009

NEW YORK CITY-SL Green Realty and Aqueduct Development Partners LLC has initiated legal action, Friday, against Delaware North (DNC) related to the Aqueduct Race Track redevelopment project in Queens. In the complaint, SL Green says that among other things, DNC had "derailed" its bids to operate wagering and other facilities at three New York thoroughbred racing facilities.

Court documents filed by SL Green and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Aqueduct Development Partners LLC allege that DNC engaged in "unlawful conduct in misappropriating for its own benefit the rights to operate wagering and other facilities." The complaint goes on to say SL Green now seeks to "recover its damages, as well as the damages inflicted on its former affiliate Empire Racing Associates, LLC caused by DNC’s unlawful scheme."

A spokesperson for SL Green says in a statement that "Delaware North’s actions as outlined in the complaint, damaged SL Green and Empire Racing Associates shareholders significantly." The same statement adds "they also harmed the people of New York, given the VLT’s at Aqueduct otherwise could have been up and running by now and would be delivering revenue to the state at a time the state sorely needs it."

Reacting to the news, Delaware North president William J. Bisset says in his own statement that DNC was made aware of the litigation yesterday, but as of today, had not been officially served papers. He added that "based on what we have read in the press reports, it appears to be a desperate attempt by SL Green to try to enhance their standing in the re-bid process."

For its part, SL Green says that yes, it is in fact still interested in developing the project and is now reviewing the state’s instructions released last week in anticipation of the new proposal.

"We are in the best position to move forward with the project right away, especially given that we already have been fully vetted," says SL Green in a statement. "If given the go-ahead, we could be producing revenue for New York’s taxpayers within six months."

[NYguy]

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/aqueduct-entertainment-group-llc-announces-team-ldquobest-for-new-yorkrdquo,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.


_______________________________________________________

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

[NYguy]

http://ny.therealdeal.com/articles/florida-developer-making-inroads-in-new-york-with-vision-for-the-queens-aqueduct-racetrack-don-peebles

FLORIDA DEVELOPER MAKES INROADS IN NYC WITH VISION FOR QUEENS RACETRACK

http://s3.amazonaws.com/trd_three/images/87265/peebles.jpg

By Sarah Portlock
May 21, 2009

Florida-based developer Don Peebles -- who, last year, had grand visions for expanding into Manhattan -- isn't letting the recession quash those goals.

This summer, Peebles, who Forbes recently ranked in the top 10 wealthiest African-Americans list and is worth $350 million, will open an office in Midtown and, last week, he was part of a team that submitted a gaming and entertainment bid for the Queens Aqueduct Racetrack redevelopment project to be operated by MGM Mirage. The proposal includes 4,500 video lottery terminals and multiple fine-dining establishments.

Tomorrow, he is speaking at the annual Queens Economic Development Corporation breakfast and said he's excited to share his enthusiasm and optimism in light of the current recession.

"Given the dysfunction in the marketplace, [the market has] presented some significant possibilities for companies like ours to come in and buy -- and buy well -- and be in a position where we could be able to come in and find some development opportunities," he said.

Peebles added: "My approach is, you buy when fewer people are buying and sell when fewer people are. It's a contrarian approach, but you go against the grain and you get rewarded for it."

Last year at this time, Peebles scheduled whirlwind days of meetings with investors and brokers as part of his New York launch. Plans for a luxury hotel are on hold, but the aqueduct project caught his eye and he developed this fine dining and gambling pitch. Peebles hopes that people want to stay close to home, and the aqueduct is a viable, local escape.

As he looks for office space himself, he is also buying up underdeveloped buildings and vacant lots throughout prime Midtown and several downtown sites, he said, keeping mum about any further details.

"What we're looking at is development sites that are under some significant distress, and where there are opportunities to buy and hold them until the next development cycle," he said.

But first he must consider how large an office presence he wants to have in New York -- a decision he is making in the coming weeks.

"I don't see development opportunities for New York City, aside from the aqueduct, for a while," he admitted. "I think it will take three to five years before there's an environment for any type of new development."

But, any hints of a recession just motivate Peebles to work harder, which is the message he'll share with Queens-based developers tomorrow.

"Now it takes a great deal more fortitude and insight and a great deal more vision to look at the current environment we're in and see opportunity. Now is not the time to focus and call it a day -- now is a time to camp out and find the opportunities and go into the woods," he said. "Now's the time of having hope and looking at the opportunities that are there."

[NYguy]

http://www.casinogamingstock.net/news/mgm-mirage-chasing-new-york-casino-90546

MGM Mirage Chasing New York Casino

May.18, 2009

After months of fighting to maintain the assets the company already owns, MGM Mirage is once again trying to expand into new gaming ventures. The casino operating company has reentered the race to manage a proposed casino at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The racino project has been in development for several years, causing MGM to withdraw two years ago as legislative and political battles led to endless delays. But now budget demands have pushed the project forward, and MGM has partnered with a Florida developer to enter a bid.

The casino, once built, would be the only legal casino in New York City. Gaming laws allow for 4500 slot machines, although table games are still forbidden.

“MGM Mirage is ready to quickly resume our prior efforts and deliver on the still unrealized dream of Aqueduct. Our knowledge of and history with Aqueduct is comprehensive and dates back to the first stages of the project, and no one knows Aqueduct better than we do,” said MGM Mirage president of development Ken Rosevear.

[NYguy]

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20315165&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574908&rfi=6

Aqueduct bidders place their bets

by Stephen Geffon
05/14/2009

Last time there were three bidders vying for the opportunity to develop and run an Aqueduct Casino complex in Ozone Park. Now there are seven.

The current list of bidders ranges from major casino operators to real estate and racing interests and is a veritable who’s who of gambling interests that include Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn.

Just in time for the May 8 application deadline, proposals were submitted by
-SL Green Realty Corp.,
-Mohegan Sun,
-Penn National Gaming,
-Delaware North Companies,
-Aqueduct Entertainment Group,
-Peebles Development, LLC,
-and Development Associates, a subsidiary of Wynn Resorts, Ltd., according to Morgan Hook, Gov. David Paterson’s deputy press secretary.

Last October, Paterson selected Delaware North to develop and operate a 328,000-square-foot video lottery terminal facility at Aqueduct Racetrack. But in mid-March the company announced that it would be unable to secure the financing needed to pay the state the $370 million franchise fee. State officials wasted no time and immediately set out to re-bid the project.

[genop]

http://www.casinogamingstock.net/news/mgm-mirage-chasing-new-york-casino-90546

MGM Mirage Chasing New York Casino

May.18, 2009

After months of fighting to maintain the assets the company already owns, MGM Mirage is once again trying to expand into new gaming ventures. The casino operating company has reentered the race to manage a proposed casino at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The racino project has been in development for several years, causing MGM to withdraw two years ago as legislative and political battles led to endless delays. But now budget demands have pushed the project forward, and MGM has partnered with a Florida developer to enter a bid.

The casino, once built, would be the only legal casino in New York City. Gaming laws allow for 4500 slot machines, although table games are still forbidden.

“MGM Mirage is ready to quickly resume our prior efforts and deliver on the still unrealized dream of Aqueduct. Our knowledge of and history with Aqueduct is comprehensive and dates back to the first stages of the project, and no one knows Aqueduct better than we do,” said MGM Mirage president of development Ken Rosevear.

okay this might be off topic a bit, but why exactly are table games forbidden? that doesn't make any sense. there are alot of people won't even touch a slot machine. you would think they would try and keep the money here by catering to other people wants.:shrug:

[NYguy]

okay this might be off topic a bit, but why exactly are table games forbidden? that doesn't make any sense. there are alot of people won't even touch a slot machine. you would think they would try and keep the money here by catering to other people wants.:shrug:

I think it has more to do with gambling not being legal in New York. The video terminals get over on a technicality.

[J. Will]

I find it strange that the articles keep referring to this as a "casino". A slots parlour with no gaming tables or roulette wheels is not a casino, it's a video slots parlour. Toronto has the same thing at Woodbine racetrack - but we have no permanent casino.

[NYguy]

I find it strange that the articles keep referring to this as a "casino". A slots parlour with no gaming tables or roulette wheels is not a casino, it's a video slots parlour. Toronto has the same thing at Woodbine racetrack - but we have no permanent casino.

It's used in the generic sense.

It's no different that what the one already operating in the area, but being inside the city limits, it is hoped to be a larger attraction (and it would be). Check out Empire City...
http://www.yonkersraceway.com/gaming_index.asp

[antinimby]

Would it kill them if they were to put table games here? Jeesus.

[NYguy]

Would it kill them if they were to put table games here? Jeesus.

For some of those people, it probably would...:cool:

[J. Will]

My advice to anyone who likes blackjack:

DO NOT PLAY VIDEO BLACKJACK AT THESE PLACES!!!

Several changes from the rules of real blackjack make it such an unbelievable rip-off that even an extremely lucky day is guaranteed to result in losses.

[NYguy]

My advice to anyone who likes blackjack:

DO NOT PLAY VIDEO BLACKJACK AT THESE PLACES!!!

Several changes from the rules of real blackjack make it such an unbelievable rip-off that even an extremely lucky day is guaranteed to result in losses.

I'm afraid your advice will go unheeded.

[NYguy]

http://www.observer.com/2009/real-estate/wynn-wynn-vegas-mogul-jets-pitch-%E2%80%98clubby%E2%80%99-queens-racino

Wynn, Wynn: Vegas Mogul Jets in To Pitch ‘Clubby’ Queens Racino

Story By Dana Rubinstein
August 4, 2009


“A room full of slot machines in Yonkers has no sex appeal,” Steve Wynn told the Transom.

It was July 28, just before 6 p.m., and Mr. Wynn, of the eponymous Wynn Resorts, was relaxing in his attorney’s conference room on the 23rd floor of the New York Times building, following an exhausting day of lobbying city editorial boards.

By “a room full of slot machines,” Mr. Wynn was referring to Empire City at Yonkers Raceway, an unadorned symbol of what he will not build at the Queens Aqueduct in Ozone Park should he win the hotly contested development and slot-machine rights. The prize is worth billions of dollars over the 30-year lease, both to the state and to the developer. It would be Mr. Wynn’s first big New York City investment, and, he said, his first investment in a racino (part racetrack, part casino).

So why here? Why now?

“New York City is New York City is New York City,” Mr. Wynn said. Behind him sat an easel holding a rendering of his vision for Ozone Park. It didn’t reveal much (Mr. Wynn is trying to abide by the state’s request not to reveal details of his proposal), but its aesthetic came through: a creamy white facade, billowing canopies, balconies, an ambience that he described as “high-end clubby.”

He faces stiff competition, including SL Green’s Marc Holliday and a team that combines R. Donahue Peebles, Harbinger Capital and MGM.

But all indications are that Mr. Wynn’s ambitions are serious. He has “$1 billion in cash in a bank, in T-bills;” has hired Long Island–based PR exec Robert Zimmerman; and his staff will signal its dedication to the community by attending a National Night Out anti-crime event in Joseph P. Addabbo Park on Aug. 4.

“Anyone can put up phony renderings,” Mr. Wynn said. “I build places that are beautiful and attractive.”

[NYguy]

http://therealdeal.com/newyork/articles/aqueduct-bidders-increase-offers-sl-green-realty-aqueduct-entertainment-group-mgm-mirage-r-donahue-peebles

Aqueduct bidders increase offers

August 24, 2009

Four of the six companies bidding to develop Queens' Aqueduct Racetrack have increased their offers to the state. The final deadline for submitting proposals to Governor David Paterson was last week.

SL Green Realty upped its offer to $275 million from $250 million. Aqueduct Entertainment Group promised the state an additional $100 million -- the company's original bid was $151 million -- if the state will add more video lottery terminals at the casino. Steve Wynn doubled his proposal to $300 million. The partnership of MGM Mirage and developer R. Donahue Peebles increased its bid but would not say by how much.

[antinimby]

I choose Wynn. They know how to bring some glitz to this project, something that it needs to even get the crumbs from the neighboring states/Atlantic City.

Otherwise without table games and a subpar experience, no one except for the most desperate and immobile will head there to gamble. In other words, people will continue to go elsewhere to do their gambling.

[NYguy]

I choose Wynn. They know how to bring some glitz to this project, something that it needs to even get the crumbs from the neighboring states/Atlantic City.

It's gonna be a huge draw regardless of who gets it though...

“A room full of slot machines in Yonkers has no sex appeal,” Steve Wynn told the Transom.

Empire City does good business, and its in Yonkers. Aqueduct will be far more accessible to the millions of New Yorkers and tourist alike. But if done right, it will have that extra "sex" appeal.

[NYguy]

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20090904/FREE/909049988

Aqueduct casino-race winner expected by Sept. 29
Contest among six bidders vying to build slot-machine palace too close to call.

By Amanda Fung
September 4, 2009


The long-awaited announcement of the winner of the six-firm contest to redevelop Aqueduct in Ozone Park, Queens will be made some time around Sept. 29, when the state Legislature returns to discuss the budget deficit, according to sources.

Earlier this week, there were rumblings that Gov. David Paterson, along with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and the Senate president, would select a winner as early as Monday. That is looking more unlikely as the Labor Day weekend approaches. The six bidders, which include casino mogul Steve Wynn and mega gaming operator MGM, have not been notified as to when a decision will be made, but they expect the winner will be chosen shortly.

“There is no timeline for a decision,” a spokesman for Mr. Paterson told Crain's on Tuesday. On Friday, the Albany Times Union predicted the possible Sept. 29 decision date.

The bidding process to revive the 210-acre site in Ozone Park has remained relatively private and closed to the public. But that hasn't stopped individual bidders from sharing their plans with the community and the public since the state first started taking proposals in late July.

A source close to one of the bidders said the state's inept handling of the selection process has opened it up to potential lawsuits from those who lose the lucrative contract. According to that source, bidding groups have been allowed to change their bids after the official deadline date. At least one of the bidders, Mr. Wynn's team, has denied that bidders were permitted to alter their bids on an “ad-hoc” basis.

None of the bidders have emerged as an overwhelming favorite. Some sources, however, say two groups—Mr. Wynn's and Delaware North Cos., are seen as favorites by the decision-makers. Delaware North, a lead partner with Aqueduct Gaming, originally won the rights to redevelop Aqueduct but backed out late last year when the recession blocked its ability to come up with the cash to pay a hefty $370 million upfront fee.

Last month, bidders anted up their offers to New York state. At the top of that list was Mr. Wynn, who doubled his bid to $300 million, and Aqueduct Gaming—including Delaware North and Saratoga Gaming—which promptly matched Mr. Wynn's bid. Meanwhile, the group led by SL Green, Manhattan's largest landlord, which also includes Hard Rock International, boosted its offer to $275 million. A group led by MGM Mirage and R. Donahue Peebles, a well-known developer in Florida and Washington D.C., also increased its bid, but declined to give the amount.

Meanwhile, Aqueduct Entertainment Group, which includes the Navegante Group, prominent New York builder Turner Construction and Queens developer Levine Builders, said it will give the state $100 million on top of its initial $151 million bid if the state hikes the number of video lottery terminals (VLTs) to 7,650 from a proposed 4,500.

[NYguy]

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20090913/FREE/309139964

Wynn or lose
Vegas superstar faces uphill race at Aqueduct.

By Amanda Fung
September 13, 2009

In 1999, Steve Wynn, the man who helped transform Las Vegas into a glamorous gambling mecca, built an eight-acre fountain that performs a watery dance set to music every half-hour in front of his newest casino there. Seven years later, he installed an even splashier water feature at the entrance of his new casino in the Chinese territory of Macau.

Today Mr. Wynn is at it again—in humble Ozone Park, Queens. Only this time he's planning a tranquil two-acre pond in the foreground of what he hopes will be his latest gambling destination, a sprawling quasi-classical building that will rise beside the Aqueduct Raceway.

Mr. Wynn is shifting his approach in the face of one of his toughest challenges yet: He's out to prove he's the man the state should tap to turn the run-down 1950s Big A racetrack into a money-making machine with 4,500 video lottery terminals, or armless slot machines.

With five other active bidders in the running, including a group led by Manhattan's largest landlord, SL Green, and another by his Las Vegas rival MGM Mirage, competition is stiff. No clear leader has emerged in a process that has been anything but transparent. But one thing is clear: Mr. Wynn—a man credited with a Disney-esque ability to conjure up hugely lucrative magic kingdoms—wants to prove he can make it in the Big Apple.

Top ratings galore

“I make people feel good and special,” says Mr. Wynn, boasting that his Wynn Las Vegas luxury resort is the only hotel in America to earn Mobil five-star and Michelin five-star ratings. “That is what I do.”

The debonair 67-year-old with a toothy 150-watt smile and a perma-tan has come a long way from his days as a quiet English major at the University of Pennsylvania. The eldest son of Michael Weinberg, a compulsive gambler who changed the family name to Wynn, Steve had no interest in games of chance. But the death of his father in 1963 forced him to abandon plans to study law and instead manage his inheritance—$350,000 in gambling debts and a small East Coast bingo business.

“It was a seminal event in my life,” says Mr. Wynn.

Less than 10 years later, Mr. Wynn burst into big-time casino gambling, turning a down-at-the-heels Vegas gambling joint, the Golden Nugget, into a luxury resort. Later, he built the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, signing up New Jersey's own Frank Sinatra as its television pitchman.

In 1989, Mr. Wynn opened the Mirage in Las Vegas, which became the first hotel/casino to generate a record $1 million in revenue a day. Others followed, including the $1.6 billion Bellagio.

An avid art collector, the billionaire has a degenerative eye condition that has robbed him of his peripheral and night vision. Nonetheless, he keeps famously close track on his properties by weighing in on everything from their architecture to the location of their toilets.

“He is maniacal about details,” says Andrew Pascal, Wynn Resorts' president.

Mr. Wynn's touch failed him with one project, the Beau Rivage resort in Biloxi, Miss. There, building costs of $700 million far exceeded estimates. The resulting losses depressed the shares of Mr. Wynn's Mirage Resorts Inc., allowing archrival Kirk Kerkorian of MGM to snap up the company for $6.6 billion in 2000.

“Very few Wynn projects have fallen flat,” says William Eadington, director of the University of Nevada Reno's institute for the study of gambling and commercial gaming. “But the Beau Rivage missed the mark.”

While the costs of Mr. Wynn's proposed 350,000-square-foot facility at Aqueduct have not been disclosed, critics say Queens could be his new Biloxi—a bad fit for a man who has made his mark building lavish palaces that cater to high rollers. In Queens, the winner will not only have to live without lucrative table games but also must give 70% of revenues to the state.

Labor relations also seem to work against Mr. Wynn. The state requires the successful bidder to reach a labor peace agreement, but the hotel union is still unsatisfied. That could pose problems for Mr. Wynn, who is the only bidder planning to build an all-new facility and who will need to work closely with organized labor to meet his projected completion date of spring 2011—the latest of all the bids.

Mr. Wynn insists the wait will be worth it. He forecasts revenue of roughly $500 million in the first year alone, handily exceeding the state's goal of $1 million a day. He predicts even higher revenues in each succeeding year, aided by what he calls his premium brand. That brand and Mr. Wynn's sheer star power already seem to have dazzled some New York politicians, but at the end of the day he remains an outsider without any local partner to help show him the ropes.

One thing he does have in abundance, though, is cash. Mr. Wynn bills himself as the most financially sound bidder in these troubled times, with the cash on hand to meet his $300 million up-front bid.

A more sedate vision

Although Mr. Wynn has been criticized for attempting to bring Vegas-like glitz to working-class Ozone Park, in renderings the facility looks relatively modest with its sedate pond and poles festooned with brightly hued racing silks out front.

Inside, a single floor would be crammed with slots, a lounge, shops and restaurants. The building will feature natural light and plantings—part of what Mr. Wynn's team refers to as the developer's “special sauce.”

“They're not flashy; they're beautiful,” Mr. Wynn says, referring to his properties.

This will be his second try at convincing state officials that his concept of beauty will sit in Queens. Last year, he and a few partners, some of whom are now competing bidders, lost the contract. When Delaware North, the winner in that initial contest, failed to come up with its promised $370 million up-front fee, the bidding process was restarted. This time, Mr. Wynn is going it alone in Queens without any local partners.

As the Aqueduct decision looms before Gov. David Paterson and the heads of the New York Senate and Assembly, Mr. Wynn says if he doesn't win the bid he will “take the result with grace.”

“The sun comes up tomorrow, and you go on with your life,” he says.

___________________________________________



HANDICAPPING THE BIG A's HALF DOZEN BIDDERS

AQUEDUCT ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

PARTNERS Turner Construction, Rev. Floyd Flake's Empowerment Dev. Gp., Navegante Gp., Levine Builders, Clairvest Gp., others

BID (opening/current): $151M/$251M (contingent on more VLTs)

HIGH CARDS Promises to open by April 1, strong community ties, extensive NY experience

LOW CARDS Lacks brand-name casino operator and gaming experience
___________________

AQUEDUCT GAMING

PARTNERS Delaware North, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, Harrah's Entertainment, McKissack & McKissack

BID (opening/current): n.a./$300M

HIGH CARDS Promises to open by April 1, won original contest to redevelop site, tied as highest bidder, strong Albany connections

LOW CARD Failed to come up with its promised $370M payment after winning original contest
___________________

MGM MIRAGE

PARTNERS R. Donahue Peebles, Harbinger Capital, GlobalHue

BID (opening/current): $150 million/ $150 million

HIGH CARDS Promises south Queens economic development, plans to open by summer 2010, only bid led by African-American

LOW CARDS MGM is financially troubled as it struggles to build vast complex in Las Vegas, few city connections, no labor deal
___________________

PENN NATIONAL GAMING

PARTNERS Not available

BID (opening/current): $5 million with conditional $150 million/not available

HIGH CARD Operates slots at four racetracks

LOW CARDS Limited resources and local connections, dark-horse candidate
___________________

SL GREEN

PARTNERS Hard Rock Entertainment, Tishman Construction, companies affiliated with BET founder Robert Johnson

BID (opening/current): $250 million/$275 million

HIGH CARDS Extensive NY connections and experience, good union and community relations, popular brand name, plans to open by April

LOW CARD Lost earlier bid
___________________

STEVE WYNN

PARTNERS none

BID (opening/current): $75 million/$300 million

HIGH CARDS Long track record of success, premium brand name, lots of cash

LOW CARDS Won't open until spring 2011 at earliest; lacks NY connections, experience and partners; strained relations with local unions; might not attract high rollers to Queens

[NYguy]

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091001/FREE/910019986/1058

Gov. meets with VIPs over Aqueduct proposals
Gov. David Paterson is seeking input from state officials on the viability of the bids to redevelop the Aqueduct racetrack as a "racino," featuring a video gaming parlor.


By Amanda Fung

Gov. David Paterson is meeting Thursday with decision makers about who will revive Aqueduct in Ozone Park, Queens, according to remarks Mr. Paterson made Wednesday evening.

The governor said he is asking the New York Racing Authority and the lottery authority “to look at some of the proposals which may have structured defects that may eliminate the number of six applicants who are trying to get the contract.” Mr. Paterson, Assemblyman Sheldon Silver and the Senate president will choose a winner.

A source close to the talks said that although a decision was not made on Thursday, the governor and his panel considered four bidders who scored highest in an analysis by his staff. The names of those bidders could not be immediately determined, and it remains unclear about when a decision will be made.

Last month, there were rumblings that a decision about which group would win the right to redevelop the 210-acre site would be made as early as this week. While sources say it is still unclear who the frontrunners are, four groups have been bandied about as the leading contenders. They are Manhattan's largest landlord, SL Green, casino magnate Steve Wynn, Aqueduct Entertainment Group and Aqueduct Gaming.

The bidding process has been kept relatively closed off to the public since the state started taking proposals in late July, but sources say certain groups were recently asked to prove that they had the necessary gaming licenses in place to build a “racino” in Ozone Park. Some speculate that issues with gaming licenses and financial soundness of some of the bidders may be the “structural defects” Mr. Paterson was referring to in his remarks.

Despite the state's quiet approach, several bidders have publicly shared their plans. Most recently, the group led by SL Green and Hard Rock Entertainment unveiled a Web site boasting its plans for a Hard Rock-themed racino. Three other bidders—Aqueduct Gaming, which includes Delaware North; Aqueduct Entertainment Group, which includes the Navegante Group and several local developers; and a group led by MGM Mirage and R. Donahue Peebles, a well-known developer in Florida and Washington, D.C.—also have splashy Web sites promoting their plans for the aging racetrack.

Even Penn National Gaming, which had been relatively quiet through most of the bidding process, has come out of the shadows and reached out to the local community and elected officials. Penn National also revised its bid to $250 million when the others anted up their offers, Christopher McErlean, the company's vice president of racing, recently told Crain's. That bid puts Penn National behind the leading bids of Mr. Wynn, who doubled his bid to $300 million, and Aqueduct Gaming, which matched Mr. Wynn's amount. SL Green boosted its offer to $275 million.

“We have not been led to believe that there are any issues with our proposal,” Mr. McErlean said. “It is a strong one.” Similarly, AEG said it still believes it is “a hometown favorite.”

“We are keenly interested in bringing our vision to Aqueduct, and we eagerly await the decision,” said a spokesman for Mr. Wynn. SL Green, Aqueduct Gaming and MGM did not comment.

[NYguy]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/gov_casino_flip_stirs_fears_of_rigging_wwGIYCH0xmJlewhaPlBX9M

Gov's casino flip stirs fears of rigging

By FREDRIC U. DICKER
October 12, 2009


There's growing fear that Gov. Paterson is manipulating the bidding process for the long-delayed, multibillion-dollar contract for a massive video-lottery casino at the Aqueduct Race Track, The Post has learned.

Sources close to the high-stakes selection say they've been shocked by Paterson's recent "flip-flop" on whether one of the six bidders -- tied to influential Queens minister and former US Rep. Floyd Flake -- is even qualified to be licensed by the state Lottery Division, which is vetting the contenders.

"A couple of weeks ago Paterson said that AEG [Aqueduct Entertainment Group] couldn't be qualified by Lottery because of problems with one of its partners," a highly knowledgeable source said.

"But then last week the governor told people that AEG could be qualified for Aqueduct by Lottery. The same partner is there, so why the change, why the flip-flop?"

One of AEG's several partners is Empowerment Development Corp., created by Flake, who has close ties to state Senate President Malcolm Smith, who was a deacon in his church, US Rep. Gregory Meeks, who is his successor in Congress, and Paterson.

While Flake's Empowerment Development isn't the AEG partner with the vetting "problem," the company's presence on the AEG team was described by two sources as the reason AEG was still in the running.

"AEG has ties to Flake, to Malcolm, to Gregory Meeks, to the governor, so what other reason would there be for Lottery to say they're not qualified and then to say that they are?" the source said.

Another source said, "It appears that the governor made promises to Flake's group that he's trying to deliver on now."

Among the six major bidders for the Aqueduct contract are Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn, Delaware North, MGM Mirage and SL Green, a major Manhattan real-estate development company that has partnered with Hard Rock Entertainment.

While Paterson's decision is crucial to the selection of the casino operator, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) and Sen. John Sampson (D-Brooklyn), the Democratic Conference leader, must give their approvals as well.

Video lottery terminals at Aqueduct, in the works for several years, are expected to bring the cash-strapped state at least $100 million in immediate cash and as much as $400 million a year once the casino is fully operational.

[NYguy]

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20091102/FREE/911029992

Aqueduct bidders told to ante up even more money

November 2, 2009



The bidding to redevelop Aqueduct racetrack into a “racino” has entered yet another round: Gov. David Paterson sent a letter late Friday to the six bidders asking each to provide proof it can pay the state $200 million upfront within 30 days of being selected.

The request would mean a revision of most of the bidders' original plans to revive the rundown racetrack by installing video slot machines at the site in Ozone Park, Queens.

Only one of the half dozen bidders—Penn National Gaming—had proposed to pay the state $200 million upfront. Other bidder groups, such as one headed by Manhattan's largest landlord, SL Green, and another by casino magnate Steve Wynn, ponied up $125 million and $100 million upfront, respectively, with more money as the project progressed.

Sources say the latest request—the second change in the rules in less than three months—will likely winnow down the list of potential bidders in the race.

Bidders have until Friday, Nov. 6 to reply to the letter. Mr. Paterson's office did not comment immediately.

So far, only two bidders say they will reaffirm their bids this week. A group led by MGM Mirage and developer R. Donahue Peebles said it has already provided the state evidence that it has the money to develop the racino and called the letter a positive step in the process.

In addition, Christopher McErlean, vice president of gaming at Penn National, confirmed: “We did receive a letter. We are comfortable with our bid and will be reinforcing our commitment.”

The bidding process has been relatively closed to the public since the state started accepting proposals in July. But since then, the bidders have willingly shared much of their plans to revive the 210-acre site.

Bidders were allowed to up their bids in August, an opportunity that several took advantage of. And just last month, Mr. Paterson mentioned in a speech that there were issues with gaming licenses and the financial soundness of some of the bidders. Mr. Paterson, along with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and the Senate president, selects the winner.

The latest wrinkle suggests the state may be trying to avoid a repeat of last year's experience with the original Aqueduct winner, Delaware North. The group, which is currently bidding on the project again, initially won the right to redevelop Aqueduct but backed out late last year when it could not come up with the cash to pay the $370 million upfront fee it had promised the state.

Collecting $200 million from the winning Aqueduct bidder this year is also part of Mr. Paterson's two-year, $5 billion deficit-reduction plan, which the governor unveiled last month.

While Mr. Wynn offered the largest overall payment to the state of $300 million, he offered only a third of that money upfront. Similarly, SL Green, whose partners include Hard Rock International, offered a total of $275 million with just $125 million upfront.

Sources say both bidders have the financial means to meet the new requirement. The question is whether they will want to amend their plans yet again. SL Green and Mr. Wynn did not comment.

The remaining bidders, Aqueduct Entertainment Group (which includes Turner Construction and the Navegante Group) and Delaware North, also did not comment.

In its bid, AEG said it will give the state $100 million on top of its initial $151 million if the state allows it to boost the number of video lottery terminals to 7,650 from 4,500.

Delaware North offered an upfront fee of $100 million and $200 million within 27 months of opening the permanent facility.

[NYguy]

Potential Long Island casino...

http://cityfile.com/dailyfile/8258

Gambling in the Hamptons

A casino could be coming to the Hamptons in the near future. Washington indicated yesterday that it's prepared to grant official recognitition to the Shinnecock Indian Nation, a tribe that occupies 800 acres in Southampton, "not far from some of Long Island's wealthiest communities and expansive celebrity-owned estates."

Once formal approval comes down from on high, which should take at least six months, the tribe will have the right to set up a Class II casino. (That means slot machines are okay, but table games are no. Sorry, poker fans!)

But it's also possible the casino won't be located in Southampton at all and locals like Calvin Klein and Henry Kravis will have to drive a bit to lose fistfuls of quarters. The tribe has indicated they'd prefer to set up a full-fledged casino—a Class III, as they say in the gambling biz—in which case Shinnecock leaders would have to reach an agreement with state and federal authorities, and the casino would probably be located elsewhere on Long Island, possibly at the Aqueduct or Belmont racetracks.

That would be awfully convenient, wouldn't it? It's so hard to find a place where you can play blackjack and bet on ponies at the same time nowadays!

_______________________

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bingo_for_li_tribe_IrIt3jXYfWK8x0dEinBPbI

Bingo! for LI tribe -- could get casino
Big win in East End casino push

By SELIM ALGAR
December 16, 2009

Jackpot!

The Shinnecock Indian Nation of Southampton was given preliminary approval for federal recognition yesterday in a landmark ruling that could result in downstate's first casino.

The designation would permit the 1,066-member tribe to immediately open a Class II gambling facility -- which permits bingo and certain slot machines, but no table games -- on its ramshackle Southampton reservation.

But Shinnecock sources said the tribe would much prefer to open a full-fledged casino, and will seek to transfer its rights to Aqueduct or Belmont racetracks or vacant land in Riverhead.

"The goal is economic development," said a tribe source. "We want to do what will benefit the Shinnecock Nation, whatever that is."

Hamptons officials and residents have strongly opposed the establishment of any gambling venue in an area just blocks from some of Southampton's most extravagant homes and manicured lawns.

Armed with the threat of constructing a casino on the reservation -- which locals complain would clog roads and attract unsavory elements -- tribal leaders are hoping for support from East End officials for their plan to move it west.

The tribe sparked an East End firestorm in 2003 when it symbolically broke ground on a gaming facility on its 800-acre reservation.

"The fact of the matter is that the Shinnecocks don't want gaming on the reservation and neither do local residents," said Assemblyman Fred Thiele (R-Sag Harbor).

"They are looking for a site up west off the reservation. The question is whether there is a community that will support a casino."

Sources said yesterday's ruling touched off celebrations at the Shinnecock administrative offices in Southampton.

"We have been stepped on around here forever," said a tribe member.

"Look around us. We have $20 million homes around the corner but our kids can't get basic jobs. Not anymore. We fought for this, and we deserve this."

The tribe may also try to use its newfound empowerment as leverage in other ongoing disputes with local and state jurisdictions over massive land claims and the controversial sale of untaxed tobacco.

While the Shinnecocks have been pushing for federal recognition since 1978, they intensified their efforts in recent years.

They are currently represented by Michael McKeon, the former press secretary for former Gov. George Pataki.

[NYC4Life]

A "Casino" with no table games in Metro New York, impressive. Hopefully a full fledge facility will be built.

[NYguy]

^ It will be pretty much the same as Empire City, only in city limits...


http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/paterson_promises_to_pick_aqueduct_TUVT6MjsMd6wPtmdGiKIbM

Paterson promises to pick Aqueduct vendor soon

By BRENDAN SCOTT
January 1, 2010


Gov. Paterson promised today to finally leave the starting gate and pick a vendor “in the next week or so” to bring a long-planned lottery parlor to Aqueduct Race Track.

Paterson made the remarks as the state neared a critical deadline that could cost it the $200 million up-front payment that the governor and lawmakers have already counted on to balance the current year’s budget.

“If the two other leaders cannot come to a conclusion and a decision about which groups should be the sponsoring organization, then I think I'll be forced, as I did last year, to announce my group,” Paterson told reporters during a New Year’s open house at the Executive Mansion.

“What I'm going to do probably in the next week or so is pick one myself,” Paterson said.

Paterson has been promising to select a casino operator since the summer, when he and legislative leaders began bickering over the plan and haggling with bidders to sweeten the pot.

Pressure to act increased after the New York Racing Association, which operates Aqueduct and the state’s two other thoroughbred horse tracks, said the state’s in action would force it to cancel the Belmont Stakes in June.

NYRA hopes to collect as much as $1 million daily from the 4,500 lottery terminals planned for Aqueduct. Also, a bidder must be chosen within days if Paterson hopes to negotiate a contract before the state’s fiscal year ends March 31, insiders say.

If not, the $200 million up-front payment would have to be added to the existing $500 million hole in the state budget. So far three governors have failed to bring the project to fruition since 2001, when the Legislature first authorized the Aqueduct “racino” under Gov. George Pataki.

Five bidders remain, after Las Vegas executive Steve Wynn reportedly tired for the drawn-out process. Those remaining include: Aqueduct Entertainment Group, Delaware North, MGM Mirage, Penn National Gaming and SL Green, which is in a partnership with the Hard Rock chain.

[NYguy]

http://www.gamingtoday.com/industry-news/story.bv?storyid=24159

N.Y.'s Gov. Paterson to announce slot plan

January 04, 2010
Industry Insider by Ray Poirier


In New York state politics, it takes three to tango. That’s probably why the state passed a law eight years ago permitting video lottery machines at Aqueduct racetrack but failed to implement the plan.

Responsibility for the selection of the operator for that slots facility has been placed in the hands of Gov. David Paterson, a Democrat; House Speaker Sheldon Silver, Democrat, and Senate Leader John Sampson, a Democrat. Up to the end of 2009, the three had failed to agree on an operator from among a half-dozen applicants.

Frustrated with the delay, that could be costing the state as much as $1 million a year in revenue, Gov. Paterson has indicated that he plans to announce his choice this week.

Paterson’s associates have indicated that he is leaning toward the SL Green Group that is partnering with Hard Rock Entertainment.

[NYguy]

http://curbed.com/archives/2010/01/29/queens_casino_revealed_maybe_saving_an_east_village_temple.php

Queens Casino Revealed

http://cdn2.curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/4005/4314109965_12625bfab9_o.jpg

JAMAICA—The three men in a room have finally decided on a development team to turn the forlorn Aqueduct Racetrack into a "racino" with video betting machines and a dash of Vegas glitz and glamour. Will their decision stick this time? According to a press release from Sheldon Silver's office, Aqueduct Entertainment Group (AEG)—comprised of the Navegante Group and a whole bunch of others—are the winners, but there are conditions. Lots of conditions. Like the group ponying up (heh!) a $300 million upfront licensing fee, instead of the $200 million that already chased Steve Wynn away. AEG's proposal for the multi-phase racino/resort is the one with "seven sections designed to mirror city neighborhoods" like the Lower East Side. The group's website gives a glimpse into their plans, seen in the gallery above.

http://cdn2.curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/4059/4314846896_6e41a11a2f_o.jpg


http://cdn2.curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2704/4314110183_b54d728423_o.jpg


http://cdn2.curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/4029/4314847392_c517038fe7_o.jpg


http://cdn2.curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/4024/4314847448_d61fca3fb1_o.jpg

[NYguy]

http://www.gamingtoday.com/industry-news/story.bv?storyid=24488

Woolf prevails on slots at Aqueduct

(February 01, 2010 4:40 PM)
Industry Insider by Ray Poirier

After months of speculation, Aqueduct Entertainment Group (AEG), headed by Larry Woolf’s Navegante Group, has been chosen as the developer and operator of a slots facility at Aqueduct racetrack in New York.

The announcement, made by N.Y. Gov. David Paterson, ends months of political infighting that has kept the selection process from identifying the winner from a half-dozen bidders.

To get the license, however, AEG will have to pay the state an upfront fee of $300 million, the figure required to insure the approval of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who with Paterson and the Senate Majority Leader were empowered by legislation to choose the operator.

A major factor in AEG’s success was the promise by Woolf, who was responsible with the development of MGM Hotel/Casino and currently operates a number of gaming facilities in Nevada, to have Aqueduct up and running in six months.

Participating with Navegante in AEG are GreenStar Services Corp, Turner Construction Co., Levine Buildings, The Daman Group Inc., Empowerment Development Corp., PS&S Design, Siemens AG, and Clairvest Group Inc.

[NYguy]

This will have to do until we get better renderings...

(from aqueductentertainment.com)

http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/121672907/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/121672912/original.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/121672920/original.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/121672924/original.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/121672926/original.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/121672933/original.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/121672938/original.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/121672944/original.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/121672957/original.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/121672973/original.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/121672980/original.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/121672997/original.jpg

[NYguy]

http://www.observer.com/2010/politics/paterson-there-was-consensus-aqueduct-aeg-has-money

Paterson: There Was Consensus on Aqueduct; AEG Has the Money

http://www.observer.com/files/full/aeg.JPG

By Eliot Brown
February 4, 2010

Here's Paterson's statement, which references the up-front financial demand (a $300 million payment to the state), and asserts that AEG can meet it.

"AEG was selected to operate video lottery terminals at Aqueduct racetrack in a unanimous decision reached through the equal votes of the leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the Assembly, and myself. Each leader had equal statutory authority, equal responsibility and is equally accountable in this selection.

"AEG has both the financial viability and ability to pay the required upfront licensing fee. AEG complied with every request made during the review process and addressed satisfactorily all matters related to licensability. AEG's compensation to the State, both in the short term and the long term put it near the top or at the top compared to other bidders. Further, AEG's gaming operator, Navegante, has a verifiable record for establishing successful gaming operations. AEG's plan fits well within the very diverse and middle class community that exists around Aqueduct and its approach to operations will attract local community members to the site in the largest numbers and create local jobs for people in the surrounding area. AEG's commitment to diversity and inclusion was also an important consideration in choosing it to operate at Aqueduct.

"All information about the bidders and their bids was presented to all involved parties as we weighed this selection. After a lengthy evaluation process, I can only assume that the other leaders made their decision, as I did, because AEG offered the bid that received both unanimous support and is good for New York."

[NYguy]

http://www.niagara-gazette.com/opinion/local_story_034224237.html

GLYNN: Las Vegas-based firm to run Aqueduct casino

February 03, 2010

A Las Vegas-based management company has been awarded a contract to operate a lucrative casino at Aqueduct Race Track in New York City.

Aqueduct Entertainment Group, an eight-member partnership that includes gaming executive Larry Woolf’s Navegante Group, was selected over competing bids from four other groups: MGM Mirage, Harrah’s Entertainment, Penn National Gaming and Hard Rock Entertainment, which is operated by a Indian tribe in Florida.

Officials said the new casino’s 4,500 video lottery terminals could help offset New York’s $7.4 billion budget gap. It is estimated the gambling terminals could generate upwards of $1 million per day in revenue.

A spokesman for AEG said the Navegante Group also operates casinos at The Sahara in Las Vegas, Reno’s Grand Sierra and three properties in Elko, Nev. At present, a memorandum of understanding is being negotiated with New York State Lottery officials and those meetings will take about two months. The casino is expected to open by September.

[NYguy]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/slot_firm_OwXQOSMEyM9ymZA9kNlkiP

NY slots pick runs rinky-dink Nevada casino

By REBECCA ROSENBERG
February 8, 2010


Instead of picking world-class MGM Mirage or Hard Rock Entertainment to run the city's first video-slot parlor, Gov. Paterson is betting on the company that runs the largest casino in all of . . . tiny Elko, Nev.

And if the Red Lion Hotel & Casino in the sleepy backwater town 500 miles from Vegas is any indication, Aqueduct is well on its way to being redeveloped as a Sin City resort -- circa 1972.

The Post spent the weekend in Elko to get an idea of how the Navegante Group -- the gaming arm of the politically connected winning Aqueduct bidder, AEG -- operates, since the desert town is where most of its holdings are.

Navegante acquired the Red Lion in 2006 but has so far been unable to turn the tide.

"This is a casino that might have been in Vegas -- in the 1970s," said Courtni Greenwell, who works at the casino's Starbucks.

A third of the hotel's rooms have been renovated, but "still smell like an ashtray," one regular said. And the only entertainment currently offered at the casino, aside from the slots and table games, is karaoke.

The other three properties Navegante owns in town are in even worse shape.

The carpeting "is stained and dirty, and they just laugh at me when I ask for it to be replaced," said Thunderbird Motel front-desk clerk Velma Cheety. "There's a bullet hole in the window from five years ago, and they won't replace that, either.

"And now they're going out to New York?"

David Zornes, CEO for Navegante's properties in Elko, defended his hotels.

"There's nothing we don't repair. If we know about it, we do it," he said.

Lifelong residents in this town of 40,000 said Elko can hardly be considered a proving ground to make it in the Big Apple.

They should know -- the company is focused nearly exclusively on locals after it stopped subsidizing charter flights of tourists to bring them to town. Instead, Navegante now regularly doles out $5 vouchers to Elko residents to help bring in business.

Unlike on the Vegas Strip, where you're apt to see Gucci-slinging celebrities dining at four-star eateries, in downtown Elko, it's cowboy hats and mullets chowing down in restaurants with deer antlers on the walls.

"Look at this town. It's ugly. It's dirty," Cheety said. "We're an old cow town off the Interstate, nothing like New York."

When the company needed photos of the motel for advertisements, it "painted the left and the right side of the building but not the middle," she said. "And you can't see the middle, so they didn't bother. But why not just finish the job? It looks funny."

Founded in 1996 by former MGM Grand CEO Larry Woolf, Navegante owns or manages seven casinos in Nevada, Canada and Wisconsin, although none of them on the scale of the planned video slot parlor at Aqueduct.

Navegante contends that it is actually a better fit for the Aqueduct job than the bigger players in the industry.

"A lot of the guys running these big operations have never run a casino in their lives -- they're Wall Street guys," said Larry B. Woolf, the CEO's son.

"We have been in a similar situation before, when we beat out Caesars and Circus Circus to get the contract for Casino Niagara, which when we opened it at that time, generated more per square foot than any other casino.

"We don't have a board to report to. We make our own decisions, and we are competent, experienced, impeccable."

Michelle Fitzsimmons, 50, a cocktail waitress at the Red Lion, backed up her bosses.

"In this town, this casino is managed the best because, well, the other two went bankrupt," she said.

[UrbanImpact]

Looks more like a 90's convention center than a Casino IMO.

[NYguy]

Looks more like a 90's convention center than a Casino IMO.

That's because in reality, it's still the racetrack.

[genop]

Aque-losers in leak pique

By CARL CAMPANILE
Last Updated: 3:39 PM, February 16, 2010
Posted: 3:01 AM, February 16, 2010

Two firms that lost out on the Aqueduct "racino" deal charged yesterday that state officials leaked confidential information in their plans to competitors -- including the politically wired winning consortium led by Queens minister Floyd Flake.
Sources close to Delaware North and Penn National Gaming claimed key details about their bids were given to Flake's Aqueduct Entertainment Group, as well as SL Green/Hard Rock, before Gov. Paterson and legislative leaders announced that the lucrative franchise was awarded to AEG.
The claim comes as Paterson prepares to release the bids of the four finalists today following weeks of criticism that the selection process was corrupt.

The US Attorney's Office in Manhattan and the state Inspector General's Office are investigating the Aqueduct deal and AEG's connection to a Queens not-for-profit group, New Directions Local Development Corp., run by associates of Flake and Senate President Malcolm Smith (D-Queens).
Delaware North lobbyist James Featherstonaugh said he was informed that "our bid had been leaked to both AEG and SL Green."
Another source said an assistant counsel to the governor had called his bidding group last week to notify them that Paterson planned to make the bids public, and asked if there was any proprietary information that they wanted held back.
"We just laughed. We know that our bid info was secretly given to AEG and another bidder a long time ago," the insider said.
A third source confirmed the claim, saying, "I don't know how and why they had our bids."
An AEG spokesman shot down as "preposterous" its rivals' claims that AEG got inside information on their plans.
An SL Green/Hard Rock source emphatically denied that the group had gotten an early peek at rival bids.
In a column in the Press, a Queens weekly, Flake defended AEGs' bid and dismissed the controversy.
"From my 30-plus years as a developer in this community, I can tell you that media innuendo does not build projects," he said.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/aque_losers_in_leak_pique_6nnYma9kQDVndU76tco51L

[NYguy]

This has turned into a daily soap opera. They just need to finalize the deal.

[genop]

And the soap opera continues.....

Feds contact losing bidders for dirt on Aqueduct deal
By FREDRIC U. DICKER in Albany and CARL CAMPANILE in N.Y.
Last Updated: 7:40 PM, February 17, 2010
Posted: 7:40 PM, February 17, 2010

Federal authorities have begun contacting losing bidders as part of a growing probe into the controversial deal to install video slots at Aqueduct, The Post has learned.
Even as it emerged yesterday that two AEG investors are being probed by state and federal officials over unrelated financial scams, an official from the Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara's office already has been in touch with Delaware North, one of four groups that lost out on the lucrative contract to the Aqueduct Entertainment Group, sources said.
"They wanted to know if Delaware North would be willing to cooperate with an investigation. If someone wants to investigate, we'd tell them anything we know about the bidding process. We'd be willing to cooperate," a Delaware North insider said.

Penn National CEO Peter Carlino also said he would participate in any probe.
"The outcome was somewhat preordained. It's disappointing that we wasted even five minutes on this project," Carlino fumed. "AEG is not the most competent operator."
Carlino even sent a private letter to Gov. Paterson expressing concerns that the fix was in weeks before Paterson and legislative leaders awarded AEG the 30-year franchise.
"If our being a Pennsylvania-based company in any way prejudicess us in the bid process, we wish we would have known that going in," Carlino told Paterson. "It would almost appear that some might be trying to find way not to award the contract to Penn."
Paterson's office on Tuesday released documents related to the bid, which showed that AEG initially ranked last in terms of revenue it would generate for the state - but then jumped to first when bids were revised.
One gaming expert told The Post the dramatic change "looked fishy."
Meanwhile, questions were raised about some of AEG's invesment partners yesterday.
The Toronto-based 1X Inc, an online gaming software company, owns 4.4 percent of AEG.
Two of 1X's investors are principals in the Markit Group, which is being investigated by both the US Justice Department and state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's as part of a larger probe of the credit default swap market.
Markit has denied any wrongdoing.
The controversy surrounding the Aqueduct project has enared Paterson for three weeks.
"I told David that picking AEG would be a mistake," said one longtime associate. "There are too many shaky characters and they tried to pimp Floyd Flake's good name," the source added, referring to the powerful Queens minister who a key leader in AEG's effort.
Critics also said AEG's own statements indicate they are were allowed to change their bud after submission.
In a statement on Tuesday, AEG said in "subsequent negotiations" with state officials it had raised its upfront license fee to the state to $251 million, and then to $300 million. It initially offered $151 million, the lowest of all bidders.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/probers_contact_losing_aeg_bidders_xNNxO5SjHreFtFoNhSNggJ

[NYguy]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/fading_in_stretch_lAyKIUABSvVQGud91qQyrJ#ixzz0fzbSqf9o

Fading in stretch

By FREDRIC U. DICKER in Albany and CARL CAMPANILE in NY
February 19, 2010

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is prepared to kill the controversial Aqueduct slots contract awarded to a politically wired consortium because of ongoing federal and state probes, The Post has learned.

Silver -- along with Gov. Paterson and state Senate Democratic leader John Sampson -- recently gave preliminary approval to the Aqueduct Entertainment Group, led by powerhouse Queens minister and ex-Congressman Floyd Flake.

But Silver -- who tied his support to stricter conditions on AEG -- is now mulling pulling the plug on the project by refusing to sign a "memorandum of understanding," or legal agreement, to finalize the contract.

"The speaker is saying he may not sign the MOU," said a source familiar with Silver's thinking.

"The speaker is leaving open the possibility that he won't sign, depending on what new information emerges, on what the investigations find," the source added.

"He also believes it's possible, when all is known, that maybe the governor, or the Senate, won't want to sign the MOU, either," said the source.

The memorandum, now being drafted, is expected to be finalized in four to six weeks.

[NYguy]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/jay_stake_in_slots_deal_draws_scrutiny_tv8TlBdN4dPNsnkW4XAqJN

Jay-Z stake in Aqueduct slots deal draws scrutiny

By FREDRIC U. DICKER in Albany and ANNIE KARNI in New York City
February 21, 2010

Gov. Paterson has 99 problems -- and Jay-Z might be one of them.

The governor's friendship with the hip-hop impresario is raising questions because of the latter's involvement with AEG, the consortium controversially selected to run a multibillion-dollar racino at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Paterson's bond with the man born Shawn Carter was growing at the same time that Jay-Z was being courted to join the Aqueduct Entertainment Group.

Last Aug. 31, Jay-Z and his wife, Beyoncé, shared a podium with Paterson to announce that Jay-Z would stage a 9/11 benefit concert at Madison Square Garden.

In early September, AEG Chairman Richard Mays approached Jay-Z through his business partners and asked whether he would be interested in joining the consortium -- which at the time ranked last among six bidders seeking the lucrative project.

Within days, Jay-Z had agreed to take a 7 percent stake in AEG through one of his companies, Gain Global Investments Network LLC.

Jay-Z, 40, had long been interested in the project, sources said. In spring 2009, he'd begun talking with casino mogul Steve Wynn about joining Wynn's bid to operate the racino.

No deal was hammered out, and Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts Limited, frustrated by the long review process and its murky rules, eventually bowed out.

"Paterson directly told Wynn he needed to have a minority partner, so he went and got Jay-Z. But when Wynn pulled out, Jay-Z was without a home," a source told The Post. "AEG went and grabbed Jay-Z after his deal with Steve Wynn fell through."

AEG jumped at the chance to recruit Jay-Z, who has become increasingly close to Paterson, sources said. The two dined together in June and hung out in the Hamptons.

After attending the 9/11 concert at Madison Square Garden as Jay-Z's guest, Paterson wrote to MTV: "I can personally attest to his commitment to New York and the impact he has on New Yorkers of all ages. He is most definitely deserving of the top-MC-of-2009 title."

_____________________________

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/02/19/2010-02-19_beating_a_dead_horse_gov_insists_feds_wont_find_anything_in_aqueduct_probe.html

Beating a dead horse: Gov. Paterson insists feds won't 'find anything' in Aqueduct racino probe

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2010/02/19/alg_racino.jpg

BY Kenneth Lovett
February 19th 2010


An emboldened Gov. Paterson predicted the feds will be wasting their time poking into the controversial Aqueduct racino deal.

"I don't think [they're] going to find anything," Paterson told WOR-AM's John Gambling Thursday.

The U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan is digging into the chaotic process that led to the selection of a politically connected group to run the slots parlor.

State Inspector General Joseph Fisch also is investigating the deal.

[NYguy]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/aqueduct_deal_gets_bad_rap_p8Nwuqn5mnekhijZjsJmjN

Aqueduct deal gets bad 'rap'

By CARL CAMPANILE
February 24, 2010

A rapper war erupted yesterday over the controversial Aqueduct slot machines project.

Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons fired the first salvo, saying that Aqueduct Entertainment Group, which had courted Jay-Z as an investor, wasn't the best bidder.

Simmons said the firm he advises -- Penn National Gaming -- and not AEG should have won the contract to operate 4,500 video-lottery terminals at the faded horse racing facility.

"Why didn't the leadership just take the best deal for the people?" Simmons asked, referring to Gov. Paterson and legislative leaders.

Of AEG, Simmons said, "Theirs just wasn't the best deal for New York . . . Can any of my dear friends in New York government tell me where and when did it all go wrong?"

He said Penn National's bid was far superior to that of AEG, whose partners include powerhouse minister and former Rep. Floyd Flake.

"They offered the most money to the state, by $100 million, up front. They can pay the fastest because they have the money in the bank," Simmons said in a column on his globalgrind.com blog.

Simmons told The Post yesterday he wasn't personally "knocking" either Jay-Z or Flake.

"Jay-Z is a great guy. I don't think he's sweating it any more than I am," he said.

[NYguy]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/02/28/2010-02-28_milliondollar_pals_tribe_is_poor_but_rich_backers_push_li_casino.html?r=ny_local&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nydnrss%2Fny_local+%28NY+Local%29

Shinnecock Indians, Gateway Casino Resorts team up in bid for Long Island casino

BY William Sherman
February 28th 2010

The Shinnecock Indians and their super-rich partners have spent more than $1 million to lobby state and federal lawmakers to let them build a "world-class" casino on Long Island - possibly at Belmont Park racetrack.

The impoverished Southampton, L.I., tribe doesn't have the money for the project, but their backers and development partners, Gateway Casino Resorts, has plenty to invest.

Gateway's principals are Marion Illitch who, with her husband, owns the Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Red Wings, and Little Caesar's national pizza chain, and wealthy gambling czar Mike Malik.

Gateway's only stated business purpose is the Shinnecock casino enterprise, and Malik has made significant contributions to politicians who could turn the plan into reality.

The casino needs the approval of the governor, the Legislature and Congress.

The partners have hired Mercury Public Affairs, whose star lobbyist is Rodney Capel, a former top official in the state Democratic Party. Capel has also worked for Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Charles Rangel, and Assemblyman Herman (Denny) Farrell.

Discussions on the project, some as recent as two weeks ago, have been held with Gov. Paterson, major state leaders, Rangel, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Schumer's chief of staff, Martin Brennan, said Capel, whose firm has been paid more than $200,000.

"We're hoping to get quick resolution on a site location that's good for the state, good for the specific locality and the people there, and good for the tribe," Capel said.

Tribal leader Fred Bess said, "We're looking to build a world-class facility" which would include a full complement of table games like blackjack and poker, plus slot machines, a big hotel and Vegas-style entertainment.

A casino would be a billion-dollar jackpot for the 1,066-member tribe whose desolate reservation is near Southampton's luxurious mansions.

The Shinnecock enterprise is the latest entry in the quest for the big pot of gold - the billions New Yorkers would gamble at locations more convenient than Atlantic City or Foxwoods in Connecticut.

Two weeks ago, tribal leaders and Capel met with Paterson, state Senate president Malcolm Smith, and Sen. John Sampson in Albany, Capel said.

"We don't think getting the approvals will be that hard," said Capel.

[NYguy]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/flake_and_pals_face_grilling_p9geqk6hkfHoKdnfylsdAO

Flake and pals face a grilling

http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2010/03/02/news/photos_stories/cropped/jay_z--300x300.jpg
JAY-Z Subpoena on slots deal.

Post Staff
March 2, 2010

Former US Rep. Floyd Flake and rap moguls Jay Z and Russell Simmons will be subpoenaed today in the state probe into the controversial contract to operate slot machines at Aqueduct Racetrack, The Post has learned.

Flake, a Queens minister and personal friend of Gov. Paterson, and Jay-Z are partners in AEG, the company that was chosen by the governor to operate 4,500 slot machines at the track.

Simmons is an adviser to Penn National Gaming, one of the losing bidders.

The subpoenas were issued by the State Inspector General's Office, which is working with the US attorney. The three are the first of dozens likely to be quizzed. Aqueduct Entertainment Group offered the state the least money up front, had unrealistic revenue estimates and provided fewer financial details than competitors, according to Saratoga Racing and Gaming, a partner in a losing bid from Delaware North.

Saratoga noted that AEG's casino partner, the Nevada-based Navegante Group, was hardly a household name compared to fellow bidders SL Green's Hard Rock; MGM's Peebles Delaware North-Harrah's; and Penn National, a national gaming firm.

AEG was allowed to revise its bid to offer the cash-starved state an upfront license fee of $200 million. Delaware North, Penn National and SL Green each bid at least $300 million, but with strings attached.

AEG has defended its proposal as sound.

[genop]

http://www.onlinecasinoadvisory.com/casino-news/land/paterson-denies-validity-of-scandals-including-aqueduct-casino-43627.htm


http://www.onlinecasinoadvisory.com/images.jpeg?id=43627
New York Governor David Paterson is facing a battery of investigators and agencies searching through his recent acts for criminal and erhical violations, but he says scandals such as manipulating the casino rights for Aqueduct Race Track and accepting illegal gifts are without foundation. Paterson told reporters Friday that he would speak to the state attorney general's office and the Public Integrity Commission to clear his name.

Paterson has been accused of ignoring higher bids by Penn National Gaming and other gambling operators to award the casino license for Aqueduct to Aqueduct Entertainment Group. AEG has amomng its associates Jay-Z, noted as a close friend of the governor, and Reverend Floyld Flake, an influential community leader whose support may have been crucial to Paterson's plans for re-election, recently dropped.

Paterson is also facing charges that he interfered in a domestic violence case involving one of his top aides, and that he accepted a block of World Series tickets in violation of state ethics laws against gifts for public officials.

Common Cause, a watchdog group advocating government accountability, called for Paterson's resignation earlier in the day, saying addressing the scandals is preventing Paterson from dealing with important state business, including handling its budget crisis.

Paterson said he would not resign, and promised to meet with state authorities to resolve any appearances of impropriety on his part. However, the casino rights investigation may be harder for him to quell, as reports had federal investigators looking into the process of naming Aqueduct's future gaming operator.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

Updated 4:59 PM
Floyd Flake Pulls Out Of Aqueduct Racetrack Deal
By: NY1 News

An influential Queens minister is pulling out of a bid to bring thousands of video slot machines to the Aqueduct racetrack, amid reports that the project may be falling apart all together.

While the Reverend Floyd Flake was not a huge part of the development, less than one percent to be exact, his name lent credibility to the project.

Amidst a federal government and the state inspector general probe as to why his group was awarded the lucrative contract, Flake says he is through.

"I have a continuing obligation to my community and the various projects I created and developed including but not limited to the church, its related school, the retail facilities we established in the community, the Senior Citizens Housing Project, the home care operation and many others,” Flake said in a statement released today. “Unfortunately, my ongoing participation in Aqueduct Entertainment has become a distraction that has taken me and my attention away from the community projects I created and nurtured."

Investigators are probing whether the governor traded support for Flake's project in exchange for his political help, a charge the pastor dismissed last week on NY1’s political program “Inside City Hall.”

"All teams had political players on them, and no matter how their process came out, I think the same issues would have evolved, no matter who did not get that bid,” Flake said.

An unconfirmed report says another high-profile investor, Jay-Z, is also backing out.

Meanwhile, another report says the Paterson administration is threatening to pull the plug on the group altogether because the investors missed a deadline to submit to background checks. A spokesperson for the Paterson administration has not yet returned requests for comments.

The project is seen as key to development in southeast Queens, but it also matters city and statewide, as lawmakers are banking on the project pumping in hundreds of millions of dollars to the state budget.

A representative of the group says it submitted all the paperwork on time, and wants to break ground as soon as possible.




Copyright © 2010 NY1 News. All rights reserved.

[NYguy]

http://www.observer.com/2010/politics/source-flake-jay-z-out-aeg

Source: Flake, Jay-Z Out of AEG

By Azi Paybarah
March 9, 2010

Rev. Floyd Flake and rapper Jay-Z are pulling out today from AEG, the company which bid recently won a lucrative contract to run video lottery terminals at Aqueduct, according to a source familiar with the group's make-up.

Flake, a powerful reverend and former congressman, and Jay-Z, a multi-faceted rapper, each had less than 1 percent stake in the company. But, under new rules, had to submit detailed information about their personal finances, and that of their spouses. The two felt the confidentiality surrounding their personal information could not be maintained, according to a source.

The Post reported that Governor David Paterson was set to withdraw his support for AEG if the group did not submit information about all their investors by noon today.

UPDATE: The founder of AEG, Jeffrey Levine, issued the following statement: "Aqueduct Entertainment Group is continuing to move forward to complete the MOU, so that we can pay the state $300 million by March 31st and break ground on this vital job-creating project as soon as possible. All applications have been submitted to Lottery in full compliance with the State's instructions."

[NYguy]

On to round three...

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/03/10/2010-03-10_untitled__2aqueduct10m.html

'Unlicensable' AEG may be bounced from struggling Aqueduct racino project as early as today

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2010/03/10/alg_aqueduct_raceway.jpg

BY Kenneth Lovett
March 10th 2010


The group chosen to run the Aqueduct racino failed to clear all the state's hurdles and could be bounced as soon as Wednesday, the Daily News has learned.

The news comes a day after high-profile investors Jay-Z and Queens Rev. Floyd Flake ran away from the project.

The Lottery Division last night forwarded a memo to Gov. Paterson's chief of staff, Larry Schwartz, and chief counsel, Peter Kiernan, stating that Aqueduct Entertainment Group is "unlicensable" for numerous reasons, a source told The News.

If the plug is pulled on AEG, it's unclear whether one of the other losing bidders would be chosen. The cash-strapped state has been counting on the $300 million upfront payment from whoever is chosen to run the racino.

Also at stake is a potential cash bonzana for whoever is chosen because gamblers are expected to pump $6 billion a year into the video slots.

______________________________________________

The Saga of Aqueduct ...
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/03/10/2010-03-10_race_to_the_bottom_chronology_of_aqueduct_racino_mess.html


October 2001 - State lawmakers approve virtual slot machines at Aqueduct.

April 2003 - The New York Racing Association taps casino giant MGM Mirage to run 4,500 video slots at the race track.

August 2003 - MGM Mirage pulls the plug as feds probe NYRA. Years of delay follow.

September 2007 - Gov. Spitzer reopens bidding on slot machine contract.

October 2008 - Gov. Paterson chooses Delaware North to run Aqueduct racino, but state Senate Republicans immediately object.

March 2009 - Delaware North pulls out, citing recession. The bidding process starts anew.

July 2009 - Seven gaming groups join the latest hunt for slots contract, including the politically connected Aqueduct Entertainment Group.

November 2009 - Five remaining groups retool their bids at Team Paterson's request, raising eyebrows from watchdogs and participants.

Jan. 29, 2010 - Paterson picks AEG, whose investors include influential Queens Rev. Floyd Flake and rapper Jay-Z. The award comes just days after Flake says he might back state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for governor.

Feb. 4 - Losing bidders hurl charges of favoritism and bid-rigging at Paterson and AEG.

Feb. 13 - The state inspector general opens a probe into AEG's selection. The feds also start asking questions.

March 9 - Flake and Jay-Z both bail out of deal. AEG vows to press on. Paterson recuses himself.

March 31 - Looming deadline for AEG to pass background checks and pay $300 million upfront fee.

[NYguy]

As predicted...

http://www.ny1.com/1-all-boroughs-news-content/top_stories/115045/state-abandons-support-for-aqueduct-racino-deal

State Abandons Support For Aqueduct Racino Deal

By: NY1 News

Governor David Paterson announced today that the state has officially withdrawn its support for the deal to install video slot machines at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens.

The news comes after the Division of Lottery rejected the Aqueduct Entertainment Groups’ request for a gaming license.

The decision also comes after two of the project’s well-known backers, Reverend Floyd Flake and rapper Jay-Z, said they were backing out amid an investigation of why the group was selected.



________________________________________

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/knickerbocker/exclusive_aeg_to_state_don_bet_against_xrNdQektT6bQIwt4FwK5NL
EXCLUSIVE: AEG threatens to sue state over nixed Aqueduct deal

March 11, 2010
By CARL CAMPANILE

Don't bet against us

The politically wired firm that won the controversial bid to operate 4,500 slots at Aqueduct race track strongly hinted they’d sue the state if Gov. Paterson’s office reversed courses and scratched the project, The Post has learned. The threat came just as the state announced the deal was being called off.

"We believe any adverse recommendation would be unsupported both as a matter of fact and a matter of law," AEG lawyer Barry Berke said in a strongly worded March 10 letter to Paterson’s top senior aides, secretary Larry Schwartz and counsel Peter Kiernan.

Paterson’s office threatened to kill the project because some of AEG’s investors had failed to submit applications to undergo a background checks to obtain a gaming license.

Following the edict, two minor but influential AEG partners – powerhouse Queens minister Floyd Flake and rap mogul Jay-Z – backed out of the project instead of undergoing the scrutiny.

AEG said it wanted an opportunity to review and contest any "adverse recommendation’ by the Lottery Division before Paterson’s office made a final decision on the project’s fate.

[FerrariEnzo]

Quote:
"Flake, a powerful reverend and former congressman, and Jay-Z, a multi-faceted rapper, each had less than 1 percent stake in the company. But, under new rules, had to submit detailed information about their personal finances, and that of their spouses. The two felt the confidentiality surrounding their personal information could not be maintained, according to a source."

I wonder what they wish to hide? Could be standard or some rather juicy relationships... would be funny if it were found out the rev. owned some porn websites and jay-z was a gay bar king pin... back on topic.

[NYguy]

^ They probably just didn't want personal information released. That's the problem with being a celebrity and trying to do public business.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/nyregion/12aqueduct.html

Slot Machines at Aqueduct? No, Not Yet

By RUSS BUETTNER and CHARLES V. BAGLI
March 11, 2010

The state’s tortured eight-year quest to install a limited casino at the Aqueduct racetrack in Queens has failed for the third time, with the governor’s office announcing Thursday that its chosen bidder would not be awarded the contract.

State officials said the company, Aqueduct Entertainment Group, had supplied insufficient financial details regarding some of its investors. And at least two investors about whom the company did supply information raised red flags at the state’s Lottery Division, which must license all participants.

The setback means the state, already facing a shortfall of $9 billion for the fiscal year starting April 1, will not receive the $300 million upfront payment the company had committed to provide by March 31. It also delays the expected daily revenue to the state of $1 million a day. And for the neighboring community, it means putting off the new jobs that have long been promised.

“The community, I am sure, is as disgusted and as disappointed and as frustrated as I am,” said Assemblywoman Audrey I. Pheffer, who represents the area. “I’m embarrassed to go back to them again and say to them, ‘This time it’s going to work.’ ”

Barry H. Berke, a lawyer for Aqueduct Entertainment Group, called the reversal “arbitrary and capricious” and said the group would “pursue all available remedies” if the state did not allow the company to address the issues raised.

...Selecting a successful bidder has required building consensus among Albany’s famed three men in a room, a group now made up of Governor Paterson; Mr. Silver and State Senator John L. Sampson, the chamber’s Democratic leader.

Some were advocating that the three men simply move to the next choice on their lists, rather than reopening the bidding or changing the terms.

“I don’t think we have to start the process over,” said State Senator Eric Adams, chairman of the Senate’s Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee. “I think there are eligible vendors that are still there. Let’s just move on to the next eligible vendor.”

______________________________

http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2010/03/11/paterson-scraps-aqueduct-deal-hard-rocks-interested/
Paterson Scraps Aqueduct Deal, Hard Rock’s Interested

By A.D. Pruitt
March 11, 2010

The office of embattled New York Governor David Paterson scrapped a deal with Aqueduct Entertainment Group (AEG) to develop a casino at the Aqueduct Race Track in Queens, poised to be the Big Apple’s first gambling destination.

It’s unclear how the state will move forward with another bidding process, but some of the companies want back in the game. “The SL Green/Hard Rock team is still interested and ready to go forward. We have already fulfilled all of Lottery’s licensing requirements and we remain able to deliver on our promises – both on expedited timing and on our long-term vision for this exciting project,” said SL Green in a statement.

______________________________

http://in.reuters.com/article/consumerproducts-SP/idINN1123658320100311

UPDATE 2-NY state must pick new Aqueduct slot vendor - Gov

Fri Mar 12, 2010
By Joan Gralla

NEW YORK, March 11 (Reuters) - New York should choose a new slot machine vendor for Aqueduct Racetrack in a quick and "apolitical" manner now the Lottery Division has rejected the winning bidder, Governor David Paterson said Thursday.

"The Executive Branch advocates that the selection of the Aqueduct VLT (video lottery terminal) franchisee be done pursuant to an expedited, transparent, apolitical and publicly accountable procurement process," the Democratic governor said in a statement.

The governor has said the state could not count on the $300 million Aqueduct Entertainment Group was scheduled to pay on March 31.

New York has been seeking for about a decade to boost gaming revenue by adding slot machines to the horsetrack located in the New York City Borough of Queens.

The list of previous companies that bid for the contract includes SL Green Realty Corp (SLG.N: Quote, Profile, Research) with Seminole Hard Rock Casinos, MGM (MGM.N: Quote, Profile, Research), Harrah's Entertainment HAMLEH.UL, Pennsylvania National, Wynn Resorts Ltd (WYNN.O: Quote, Profile, Research), Delaware North, The Peebles Corporation, and the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority and the Victoria Racing Club, which were working with New York-based Capital Play.

[NYguy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/15/nyregion/15aqueduct.html?ref=nyregion

Bidders Lined Up for a Casino in the Future

By RUSS BUETTNER
March 14, 2010

With Albany’s dysfunction searing their fortunes and reputations, why is the same small group of companies insistent on trying to build and run a slot machine casino at a rundown racetrack in southern Queens?

There is the obvious and immediate allure of revenue from the 4,500 video lottery terminals, or V.L.T.’s at Aqueduct racetrack, which could gross several hundred million dollars in their first year. Those are enticing numbers on their own. But the greater attraction may be the potential down the road: the gold-plated possibility that the state is on a path toward further legalization of gambling.

“V.L.T.’s are usually the first step,” said Michael G. French, who oversees the gaming advisory practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Philadelphia. “Then as the market matures, you say, ‘What do we do now?’ ”

Privately, several bidders have made clear that legalization is where they see things headed. And having a licensed casino, albeit a limited one, in the state’s greatest population center would provide a leg up should that day come.

...Many state governments watched with envy the revenue flow that some states enjoyed from Indian casinos. Connecticut has collected $5 billion from the state’s two casinos since they opened in the 1990s. Several states — including Iowa, West Virginia, Indiana and Maryland — responded by approving the installation of video lottery terminals, typically at racetracks.

“You then have established that you can have V.L.T.’s without the sky falling, without cannibalizing neighboring businesses or increasing crime,” said Joseph M. Kelly, a professor of business law at Buffalo State College and an associate of the Catania Consulting Group, which specializes in gambling issues. “You will also have increased tax revenue,” he added, “and believe it or not, that is attractive to many legislators.”

A few states, including Delaware and Pennsylvania, have taken the next step of approving table games, an expected boon to state coffers and to the companies that run the casinos.

Competition for gambling dollars could prove a powerful motivation at Aqueduct, with casinos in Connecticut, Atlantic City and Pennsylvania a short trip away. But putting terminals there would no doubt face strong opposition from gambling interests in Atlantic City and from the operators of nearby Indian casinos, lest new sites draw revenue away.

...Another motivation that bidders have only hinted at is the potential for future real estate development on the vast Aqueduct site.

[NYC4Life]

This project just needs to die. Don't see what's so exciting about it.

[NYguy]

This project just needs to die. Don't see what's so exciting about it.

Beleive me, the thousands (or millions) who will visit annually due to the added slots would disagree with you. Not to mention the state, which is counting on the revenue.


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/03/16/2010-03-16_dave_sees_new_racino_plan_within_one_month.html?r=ny_local&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nydnrss%2Fny_local+%28NY+Local%29

Gov. Paterson sees new Aqueduct racino plan within one month

BY Oren Yaniv and Glenn Blain
March 16th 2010

The Aqueduct racino project should be back on track within a month, Gov. Paterson declared Monday.

The Daily News first reported yesterday that Paterson administration officials are drafting new rules to govern the selection of an outfit that would operate 4,500 video slot machines after the first choice, Aqueduct Entertainment Group, was scuttled

[NYguy]

Meanwhile...

http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=264801
County lawmakers look at possible sites for Shinnecock casinos

By Rohma Abbas
Mar 10, 2010

Suffolk County officials have apparently narrowed down a list of recommended locations in the county for a Shinnecock Indian Nation casino to at least four possible sites, according to Suffolk County Legislator Wayne Horsley of Babylon.

The three locations that have been publicly disclosed are a 250-acre county-owned parcel in Yaphank known as Legacy Village, Riverhead Town-owned property at the Enterprise Park at Calverton (EPCAL), and a privately held parcel of land near Gabreski Airport in Westhampton, according to Mr. Horsley, who is chairman of the legislature’s Economic Development Committee, which oversees a gaming task force charged with making the site recommendations.

Officials have remained mum on the fourth possible site, and have declined to say if more sites would be added to the list.

The tribe would not be required to adhere to any of the suggestions the county makes—they are merely recommendations. The county hopes to entice the tribe to build a casino in the county—though not on the South Fork—in order to reap the benefits a casino would provide.

Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman of Montauk, whose district encompasses the Shinnecock Indian Reservation in Southampton, hinted at the possible fourth site under consideration: he said the tribe’s leaders have expressed a desire to operate a casino on a 100-acre parcel in Yaphank near the intersection of William Floyd Parkway and the Long Island Expressway, which Mr. Horsley noted was not county-owned. The parcel is tribal leaders’ “first choice,” according to Mr. Schneiderman.

[NYguy]

ny1 news

cyuQ3h8fJK0

[NYguy]

ny1

x8_zeWK-9_g

[NYguy]

http://www.observer.com/2010/politics/paterson-says-just-pick-aqueduct-winner-himself

Paterson Says He'll Just Pick the Aqueduct Winner Himself

By Eliot Brown
April 6, 2010

Apparently fed up with the tortured politicized process of selecting a firm to build a slot machine operation at the Aqueduct Racetrack, Governor Paterson said this morning his administration would simply, by itself, pick a winner through a standard procurement process. This would jettison the unusual process set up years ago for the racetrack that requires a signoff by the leaders of the Assembly and the Senate.

"With the new procurement plan, we think that we could have a winner within the month or June at the latest," Paterson said in an interview on the Capitol Pressroom, acknowledging the plan may not be popular with the legislative leaders. "Whoever is going to be the highest bid, and assuming that they will provide all of the services, they will be the winner."

He justified the decision by likening it to deadlock over state budget, and then gave an unusually strong plug for stronger executive authority.

"If you let three people act independently, it's likely they'll go on and on and on," he said. "In the end, decisions have to be made by one person ... you find that government acts a lot better that way."

The selection of a developer for the Aqueduct has dragged on for years, and was recently reopened after the Paterson administration dropped Aqueduct Entertainment Group—the bidder it declared a winner weeks earlier—in the face of criticism that the choice was influenced by politics. The governor then recused himself from the process. Should the state simply select the bidder, an internal scorecard reported by The Times last week suggests the SL Green bid is the frontrunner.

Austin Shafran, a spokesman for Senate Democrats, emailed a response to the governor's plan suggesting the conference's top priority is a speedy pick.

"It all comes down to jobs," Shafran said. "We need to move this process along in a timely and responsible manner to start creating jobs for the local community without further delay."

[NYguy]

http://www.observer.com/2010/politics/state-tries-tries-again-aqueduct

State Tries, Tries Again at Aqueduct

http://www.observer.com/files/full/slg.JPG

By Eliot Brown
May 11, 2010

The State of New York is nothing if not persistent when it comes to adding slot machines at the Aqueduct racetrack.

And it is nothing if not slower than expected.

In what is now at least the eighth year of attempts to remake the Aqueduct in one form or another, the Paterson administration's Division of Lottery on Tuesday issued a request for proposals to find an operator to build a racino at the Queens raceway, filling it with Video Lottery Terminals (a.k.a. slot machines).

This is a move that Governor Paterson had promised after the last round fell apart amid allegations of favoritism and an onslaught of negative attention swept over him. (He picked the now-defunct Aqueduct Entertainment Group, then met with AEG member Floyd Flake days later to talk politics, giving the appearance that a possible endorsement influenced the selection.)

But it will take a few months yet.

While administration officials initially pledged a new winner by June—complete with $300 million via a licensing fee to pad the state's troubled budget—now the RFP calls for a "Apparent Winning Proposal Announced" on Aug. 3. (That, as the Divison of Lottery notes, is a "highly compressed timeframe," making one wonder how the agency could fully evaluate offers should new proposals come from teams other than the previous bidders.)

Proposals are due June 29, and the RFP is below.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/31225442/RFP-VLFAqueduct-5-11-10

[NYguy]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/swanky_plans_for_aqueduct_1gdopXkcv7LyGtwFJd9mmO

Swanky plans for Aqueduct

http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2010/07/12/news/photos_stories/aqueduct_rendering--300x300.jpg

By JENNIFER FERMINO
July 12, 2010

The only horse left in the race to win the multimillion dollar Aqueduct contract has revealed its ambitious design for the racetrack -- a 400,000-square-foot space that includes a high-end restaurant, an event center and even a stage for scantily clad showgirls.

The plans from Genting New York -- the American arm of a megabucks Asian gaming conglomerate -- call for an upscale Chinese restaurant and a football-field-sized space for social functions and corporate events.

Visitors will also get an eyeful of dancing showgirls while they hit the video slots, thanks to a stage set up behind the machines. The company claims it will be prepared to open the new racino -- featuring 4,500 video slot machines -- a mere six months after getting the OK from the state.

The plans submitted as part of the bid -- the only one left after Penn National and the SL Green-Hard Rock partnership were disqualified for not following competition rules -- also include a food court with 450 seats, an outdoor terrace and a 2,200-car parking garage.

The Asian gambling giant is one of the largest casino companies in the world, but has a pretty puny presence in the US.

It's hoping that Aqueduct will change that -- if it comes out on top of what has become one of the most bedeviled bidding wars ever.

Aqueduct Entertainment Group, the consortium that won the previous round of bidding despite being deemed "unlicensable," is now being probed following accusations that it rigged the procedure.

If Genting's bid comes up snake eyes, the state will have to start the entire process over, further delaying the already decade-old uphill battle.

_________________________________

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/07/12/2010-07-12_oddson_favorite_for_aqueduct_slots_plans_a_firstclass_casino.html?r=ny_local&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nydnrss%2Fny_local+%28NY+Local%29

Genting Malaysia Berhad, now the odds-on favorite for Aqueduct slots, plans 'a first-class casino'

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2010/07/12/alg_aqueduct_racetrack.jpg

BY Barbara Ross
July 12th 2010


The Malaysian firm that runs the largest casino in the world is in a one-horse race to become the operator of Aqueduct race track's slot machine casino near Kennedy Airport.

Until now, Genting Malaysia Berhad has had only a behind-the-scenes presence in U.S. gaming as an investor, including providing seed money for the Foxwoods casino in Connecticut.

But last week, the state Lottery Division disqualified two other bidders, making Genting the only contender left standing. If lottery officials and legislative leaders ultimately approve Genting's bid, the company will for the first time take on an upfront role in North America.

Earlier this year, state leaders had a deal with Aqueduct Entertainment Group - which boasted the politically connected Rev. Floyd Flake as one of its partners - but AEG was found to be unlicensable by lottery officials.

Details of what a Genting-run Aqueduct would look like began to emerge over the weekend when the company disclosed some plans for the antiquated site.

In addition to 4,500 slot machines, there would be a two-story, 450-seat food court, a 34,000-square-foot meeting site for corporate and community events, an entertainment center, a 2,200-car garage, shuttle buses to JFK, valet parking and an outdoor terrace that could accommodate 10,000.

And of course, a 75-foot waterfall.

"It's going to look like a first-class casino," Jay Walker, Genting's spokesman, said.

Genting will outline its plans in more detail Thursday night for Community Board10, which was stunned last week when lottery officials said the other two bidders, SL Green and Penn National Gaming, had been disqualified.

Those firms inserted too many protections for themselves into their proposals, officials said, including provisions that would shield them if Nassau County manages to get the Shinnecock tribe to build a rival casino at the Nassau Coliseum.

[Busy Bee]

The epitome of taste.

[NYguy]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/pols_go_go_no_go_for_aqueduct_casino_t7oaQSWLiom0dZP0NyIetM

Pols: Go-go a no-go for Aqueduct casino

By BRENDAN SCOTT in Albany and CARL CAMPANILE in NY
July 15, 2010

Lose the showgirls and hold on to your horses!

Queens leaders said yesterday they want to scratch a plan to have scantily clad Las Vegas-style dancers performing at a proposed casino at Aqueduct Racetrack, while an upstate judge ordered the Paterson administration to halt its latest efforts to open a gambling facility there.

Genting New York -- the American arm of the Malaysian-based gambling giant -- unveiled images on Monday of a proposed "racino" that includes a stage for showgirls to strut their stuff while gamblers play video lottery terminals.

"That's not the type of venue we're looking for," said Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Bratton.

Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Ozone Park) said having showgirls at Aqueduct "went over like a lead balloon."

"That was a mistake. I'm not for scantily clothed dancers. This is not Las Vegas!" Pheffer said.

The furor over the showgirls comes as Genting presents its racino plan to Community Board 10 tonight at Aqueduct.

Genting is the only horse left in the race after the state Lottery Division disqualified two other bidders last week -- SL Green-Hard Rock and Penn National -- for not following competition rules.

After hearing about the flak, Genting NY will now tell CB 10 that the plan for showgirls is not leaving the starting gate.

"We have no plans for showgirls. This was an architect's rendering, and nothing more," said Genting spokesman Stefan Friedman.

While widely respected in the gambling industry, Genting is not without controversy.

The outfit has plunked $200 million into its partnership with MGM Mirage. New Jersey gambling regulators warned Las-Vegas-based MGM Mirage to drop its ties to business partner Pansy Ho, the daughter of Macao gambling mogul Stanley Ho, who has reputed ties to organized crime.

But the Genting-backed MGM decided to sell its stake in Atlantic City's posh Borgata casino instead of severing its business partnership with Ho in a Macao casino.

Genting dismissed the connection as trivial.

"That's like holding a bank responsible for the actions of anyone they lend money to. It just doesn't make sense," Friedman said.

Meanwhile, Schenectady Supreme Court Justice Barry Kramer issued the temporary restraining order on the 2-month-old bid process after a lawsuit was filed by the Aqueduct Entertainment Co., whose previous winning bid for the multibillion-dollar casino deal collapsed in scandal earlier this year.

_______________________________

http://www.globest.com/news/1704_1704/northeast/300884-1.html

Restraining Order on Aqueduct Partly Lifted

July 15, 2010

A state Supreme Court judge Thursday afternoon partly lifted a temporary restraining order on consideration of Genting New York’s bid for contract to develop a video casino at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. Under an agreement between the two opposing parties, the New York Lottery may not issue a recommendation to Gov. David Paterson before a July 23 hearing at which Judge Barry Kramer will consider a lawsuit brought by Aqueduct Entertainment Group, which first won and then lost the contract in the previous round of bidding. However, a lottery spokeswoman tells GlobeSt.com that Kramer ruled the agency may continue evaluating Genting’s bid.

[NYguy]

http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/politics/123487/lone-vlt-bidder-outlines-plan-for-aqueduct/

Lone VLT Bidder Outlines Plan For Aqueduct

By: Bobby Cuza
9/09/2010

After almost a decade of false starts including more than one failed bidding process, a plan to bring video slot machines to Aqueduct Raceway is looking like a sure bet. What's still needed is for Governor David Paterson, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Conference Leader John Sampson to give the green light to the Genting Group, a Malaysian-based casino and resort operator. And now, State Senator Eric Adams of Brooklyn says he will push for approval by week’s end.

"I must say, after your presentation, I’m extremely excited. I’m going to send a memo to Senator Sampson and ask him to formally recommend this venture," Adams said.

Adams is chairman of the State Senate’s Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, which heard a two-hour pitch from Genting executives Monday. Within six months, Genting says it will have 1,600 video slot machines up and running, along with a food court.

In a year, the full interior will be complete with 4,500 slot machines total, a buffet restaurant, two high-end restaurants and a VIP area. And within 18 months the project will be complete with a grand entrance, including a three-story waterfall in the lobby. There will also be on-stage entertainment, outdoor event space and an enclosed skybridge to the subway station.

"You’re more than building slots in a box here, gentlemen. You’re building a place which people say, 'Hey let’s go for dinner over there,' or, 'Hey let’s bring my folks, they’re in town, over there,' or, 'Hey, let’s get on the subway and go over to Aqueduct. We’re gonna have a good time after the game,'" said Genting spokesman Jay Walker.

Lottery officials received interest from several development groups in this latest round of bidding. But Genting was the last one left standing, after the two other finalists were disqualified last month for failing to conform to the bid requirements.

"I was disenchanted that they were the only bidder remaining. I wanted it to come down to more than one. And so I was reluctant to recommend. Then after seeing their presentation, clearly they are the best product," Adams said.

Genting estimates the project will create about 2,100 jobs and is promising to put one percent of net profits back into the community. It doesn’t hurt that Genting has also promised $380 million as an upfront licensing fee, money that will help the state close a massive budget gap.


_____________________

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/betting_on_real_casino_4WVRUFOr3jKNXsvtqlhTVI

Betting on real casino

By CARL CAMPANILE
August 10, 2010

Officials with the Malaysian gaming giant set to run slot machines at Aqueduct Race Track are already talking about expanding to a full-fledged casino -- if New York were to legalize it.

During a presentation to the state Senate yesterday, a spokesman for the company Genting, Jay Walker, said the outfit relished the opportunity to have games like blackjack, poker and roulette at the planned Aqueduct video-lottery-gaming facility.

Walker said table games "[appeal] to another group of people" and are "important in the long term."

"If we have a more full casino, we become more attractive in pulling people in . . . It will significantly improve the success overall with table games," Walker said.

Walker also pointed out that the top level of the three-floor casino will be left vacant for future growth or use.

But Walker stressed that for the immediate future, Genting is focusing on running a first-class 4,500 video-lottery-terminal facility, which is what the state asked for.

Under the best of circumstances, it would take at least several years to authorize casinos in New York.

Such an undertaking requires amending the state constitution, which requires voter approval in two statewide ballot measures following approval by two separate election sessions of the state Legislature.

Sen. Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn), who chairs that body's racing and gaming panel, applauded Genting's enthusiasm for expanding into a full-fledged casino.

He said it's inevitable that New York will legalize Vegas-style casinos because surrounding states -- New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut -- offer them.

Adams said he's "more excited than ever" to pursue table games to help preserve the horseracing industry after hearing Genting's endorsement.

"It's a win-win for New York. Right now, you see cars with New York plates at casinos in Atlantic City, in Foxwoods and Pennsylvania," he said.

The state Lottery Division and Gov. Paterson back Genting's plan. But it still needs a sign-off from the two legislative heads, Senate Conference Leader John Sampson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan).

Senators were particularly impressed with Genting's plan that 60 percent of hires at the racino will be minorities -- more than double what the state required.

If it gets a final OK, Genting said a 1,600-slot facility at Aqueduct would be up and running within six months.

A spruced-up 4,500-slot facility with restaurants would be operating within a year. And amenities -- such as a skywalk connecting the racino to the A-train subway station -- would be in place in 18 months.

[NYguy]

http://www.observer.com/2010/real-estate/state-senate-green-lights-genting-aqueduct

State Senate Green-Lights Genting for Aqueduct

By Eliot Brown
August 10, 2010

Maybe the Aqueduct deal will happen after all.

The Democratic majority in the State Senate today issued a statement saying that it supports the selection of Genting New York to develop slot machines at the Aqueduct racetrack.

From Senate Democratic leader John Sampson:

"Nothing is more important than creating jobs. The acceptance of Genting puts New York on the fast track to rebuild our local and state economy through sound economic development and immediate and long-term job creation."

Now, the ball falls into the court of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who also must give his approval before Genting can be granted the development rights.

Not to say it's exactly time to break out the Champagne. The last time the procurement process fell apart at the Aqueduct, it was after Mr. Silver, Mr. Sampson and the governor had all given the nod to a single firm: Aqueduct Entertainment Group (although Mr. Silver had attached some new conditions).

Still, things appear to look promising.

[NYguy]

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100812/FREE/100819925

Aqueduct bidder wins final yea vote
End of 9-year, 5-round bidding process in sight; Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver casts his vote—the last of three needed—in favor of Genting building a racino at the old track.

By Amanda Fung
August 12, 2010

New York state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has signed off on the state Lottery Divisions' recommendation of Genting New York, part of a Malaysian entertainment giant, as the winner of the lucrative Aqueduct racino bid. Mr. Silver was the third and final state official who needed to approve the bid.

The approval may finally mark an end to a long drawn-out bidding process, which began nine years ago and is now in its fifth round. Earlier this week, Senate Majority Conference Leader John Sampson issued his approval of Genting to revive the rundown racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, and install thousands of video slot machines. The announcement came just a week after the state Lottery Division selected Genting, the sole remaining bidder in the race to development Aqueduct. Gov. David Paterson said he would just go along with Lottery's selection. A spokeswoman for Mr. Silver confirmed his support.

The official Memorandum of Understanding is expected to be signed by all three leaders by the end of the week. The contract will then go to the state attorney general's office and the state controller's office for final approval. If those approvals are granted, Genting has 10 days to deliver the $380 million upfront licensing fee it promised to the state, a Lottery spokeswoman said.

Genting, which promises to open the first phase of the video slot machine project in a mere six months, offered $80 million more than the mandatory $300 million fee that the state requested. The extra money will help to narrow the state budget deficit. The Aqueduct racino is expected to create about 1,200 construction jobs and 800 permanent ones and bring the state some $500 million a year in revenue.

[NYguy]

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/08/16/2010-08-16_more_than_vid_slots_at_big_a_is_a_good_bet.html?r=news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nydnrss%2Fnews+%28News%29

Racino at Aqueduct will have electronic versions of baccarat and roulette as well as slots

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2010/08/16/alg_aqueduct_rendering.jpg

Above, a rendering a the proposed Racino at Aqueduct. The state lottery plans to roll out electronic versions of roulette and baccarat at racinos around N.Y., including Aqueduct.

BY Kenneth Lovett
August16th 2010

The new racino scheduled to open in months at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens will have more than just video slot machines.

The state lottery is ready to roll out electronic versions of roulette and baccarat next month in a racino in upstate Saratoga Springs, the Daily News has learned.

The new games will also be introduced later at the state's other racinos - including Aqueduct.

Stefan Friedman, spokesman for the Malaysia-based company picked to build and operate the Aqueduct racino, said electronic table games will be part of the mix when the Aqueduct racino opens early next year, "subject to Lottery's approval."

The new games "are common in all casinos, and we welcome them into the mix as they will provide variety and will help compete with casinos in other states," Friedman said.

The New York State Constitution prohibits casino table games.

Lottery officials insist electronic versions are legal because they are considered games of chance run off the agency's computer system and similar to other games already offered.

Lottery division spokeswoman Jennifer Givner said the idea is to offer more choices for customers.

The video slots tend to attract an older clientele. Games like baccarat and roulette may lure younger players, Givner said.

If the new games are successful, other electronic games like blackjack could be introduced down the road.

The Aqueduct racino is allowed a maximum of 4,525 video lottery terminals. The table games would count toward that cap.

Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and West Virginia already offer electronic table games, Givner said.

Sen. Frank Padavan, the state Legislature's leading gambling critic, recently sent a letter to the lottery ripping the idea of the table games as "ill conceived and certainly unconstitutional."

He asked for a delay in the implementation so the attorney general's office can render a formal legal opinion.

Givner, citing a previous court case, believes the lottery can move forward without legislative approval.

[NYguy]

http://www.observer.com/2010/real-estate/aqueduct-mou-signed-and-delivered

Aqueduct MOU Signed And Delivered

http://www.observer.com/files/full/aquedcut_1.JPG

By The Real Estate Desk
August 17, 2010

The long-sought Memorandum of Understanding to designate a winning developer of slot machines at the Aqueduct racetrack in Queens has finally been signed, as expected, by the governor, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and the Senate Majority leader, John Sampson.

The three leaders announced this news this afternoon. From Governor Paterson, in a statement:

After an extensive review of the applicants and the final Division of Lottery recommendation, I am pleased to announce my support for Genting New York to build and operate the video slots parlor at Aqueduct. ... Genting emerged as the winner of a highly competitive process that saw potential bidders narrowed from an original pool of seven down to one. I commend Senate Conference Leader Sampson and Assembly Speaker Silver for joining me in support of Genting New York and revitalizing the Aqueduct Racetrack.


The release:
http://readme.readmedia.com/Governor-Paterson-Conference-Leader-Sampson-and-Speaker-Silver-Sign-MOU-to-Develop-Aqueduct-Racetrack/1695729?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=media_pr_emails

[NYguy]

http://therealdeal.com/newyork/articles/genting-hopes-to-expand-beyond-aqueduct

Genting hopes to expand beyond Aqueduct

August 23, 2010

Genting Berhad, the Malaysian company that is close to getting final approval for its $380 million bid to operate the city's first gambling parlor at the Aqueduct racetrack, has big plans for the Queens raceway and for expansion into the rest of the country, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The project -- Genting's first in the U.S. -- will initially be limited to 4,500 slot machines and electronic table games, but the company hopes to later expand it into a destination resort with upscale hotels to attract international travelers.

[BStyles]

In Queens? Oh no no no no.

They're lucky they're so close to JFK and the A, or there'd be a serious problem. The Aqueduct Racetrack station is looking at a ridership increase in the next few years!

[NYguy]

They're lucky they're so close to JFK and the A, or there'd be a serious problem. The Aqueduct Racetrack station is looking at a ridership increase in the next few years!

Maybe for tourists who would have to go out of their way, but there's a ready and willing population just waiting for the place to open. Mark my words, they will do very well there.

[NYguy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/30/nyregion/30flea.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Flea Market Considers Its Fate in a Casino World

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/08/30/nyregion/flea1/flea1-popup.jpg

By FERNANDA SANTOS and MIRELA IVERAC
August 29, 2010


To the uncertainties over the arrival of casino gambling in a working-class neighborhood in Queens, add this: What will become of the sprawling flea market that has made its home at Aqueduct racetrack for more than 30 years? Will the vision of a lavish new Aqueduct, filled with thousands of slot machines and high-end restaurants, accommodate a down-market collection of stalls in a parking lot?

Stroll the market’s crowded aisles or walk along nearby Liberty Avenue, nerve center of the small business district in the Ozone Park neighborhood, and you are bound to hear those questions.

Shopkeepers describe the market as one piece of an engine that has kept on fueling the surrounding business district even in tough economic times. Its stalls are extensions of some of the stores there, and also of small factories, bakeries, wholesale and home-based businesses in neighborhoods all around.

Shoppers come from near and far. Stacy Lee, 35, a police officer in Kingston, Jamaica, travels to the flea market at least once a year and returns home stocked with goods, like the dresses, skirts, moisturizers and kitchen utensils she had stuffed in a green suitcase one recent Saturday.

“I wouldn’t be buying and lugging them back if they weren’t cheap,” Ms. Lee said.

The flea market was not a factor in the decision to award a contract to develop a casino at Aqueduct, so its future is up in the air. But neighborhood leaders and vendors suspect the market may be seen as insignificant given the magnitude of the project.

At a time when the state is in desperate need of cash, the developer, Genting New York, would provide the state with a $380 million licensing fee up front. Genting, a subsidiary of the largest gambling company in Malaysia and Britain, said the casino — which has 4,525 video slot machines and is linked to restaurants and a nearby subway station by a climate-controlled bridge — could generate $1.5 million or more a day in tax revenue.

“We’re just collateral damage,” said Yvonne Kissoon, 52, a Guyanese immigrant who has sold lingerie from a stall at the market since 1987. Eight years later, Ms. Kissoon said, she and her husband, Reggie, had saved enough to open a store on Liberty Avenue, near 108th Street, four blocks from the market’s main entrance on Rockaway Boulevard.

The flea market fills the racetrack’s north parking lot. It is open on Tuesdays and weekends and has at least 500 stalls offering clothes, perfumes and accessories; slushies, spices and chicken shish kebobs; statues of the Hindu god Ganesh and lucky money trees that, according to practitioners of feng shui, are conducive to prosperity.

A collection of flags — Guyanese, Colombian, Jamaican, Brazilian, Italian, American — flutter above the stands, revealing the nationalities of the vendors. To them, the market is a first step on their climb up the economic ladder, or their sole support.

Steven Baum, 55, who lives on Long Island, has sold formal dresses and suits at the market for 25 years, as well as at a flea market in Columbus, N.J. Samer Zaben, 24, a civil engineering student from Howard Beach, Queens, works at the market on weekends, helping his parents sell men’s clothing from two stands.

People travel by car, subway or bus, with some buses coming from as far away as Baltimore and Philadelphia. David King, 57, a biomedical engineer, traveled from Boston one recent Saturday on a trip organized by the Methodist church he attends.

“You get your bargains, and that’s why you come here,” Mr. King said.

Wilfer Asprilla, 39, an immigrant from Colombia who lives in Maspeth, Queens, said he made a living from the food he had sold at the market for 15 years, and up to 500 people might stop by on a Saturday or Sunday to savor his mozzarepa — mozzarella cheese on sweet ground corn cakes — and other specialties.

A manager at the flea market, Tom Walker, drove past Mr. Asprilla’s stand in a golf cart and said that rumblings of the market’s closing were “rumor at this point.” Mr. Asprilla seemed resigned to it, though, saying, “It’s going to happen sooner or later.”

It has happened at least once, years ago, before a previous attempt to build a casino at Aqueduct failed. (The effort to place a casino at the racetrack has been almost 10 years in the making.) “We got to the market one day and they gave us a slip at the gate saying it would be the last day,” Ms. Kissoon, the lingerie seller, recalled.

The market wound up closing on weekends for a few months. “We have no idea what will happen this time,” she said.

Messages left at the Westbury, N.Y., offices of Plain N Fancy Shows, which operates the market, have not been returned. The New York Racing Authority, which runs Aqueduct, said the arrangement with the market was private and could not be discussed.

In a statement, Stefan Friedman, a spokesman for Genting New York, said the company had not yet “focused on the property outside of the proposed casino” but it was open to exploring “all possible uses of the site.”

The Indo-Caribbean Alliance, a community organization based in Ozone Park, is working to organize the vendors and find other places in the area that could house the market. But Betty Braton, chairwoman of Community Board 10, which represents the area, said, “There aren’t too many pieces of property that can accommodate something of this size.”

In the meantime, the vendors press on, trying to figure out how much merchandise to order, a difficult calculation when they do not know if the market will be around much longer.

“I don’t know how you can have 10-, 20-year tenants and not have the decency of telling them what’s going to happen,” Ms. Kissoon said. “To them, it might be just a decision. But it’s our livelihood you’re talking about here.”

[J. Will]

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/08/16/2010-08-16_more_than_vid_slots_at_big_a_is_a_good_bet.html?r=news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nydnrss%2Fnews+%28News%29

Racino at Aqueduct will have electronic versions of baccarat and roulette as well as slots

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2010/08/16/alg_aqueduct_rendering.jpg

Above, a rendering a the proposed Racino at Aqueduct. The state lottery plans to roll out electronic versions of roulette and baccarat at racinos around N.Y., including Aqueduct.

BY Kenneth Lovett
August16th 2010

Seems silly to only have slots, baccarat, and roulette to start, and possibly have blackjack later.

Why don't they just buy the machines that other racetrack "casinos" have been using for many years that let the user choose from a bunch of different games including several variations of poker and blackjack.

[NYguy]

Seems silly to only have slots, baccarat, and roulette to start, and possibly have blackjack later.

They're still trying to put something together. I guess the main concern right now is that they reach their target base, in the numbers they need to reach.

[NYguy]

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100913-711726.html

Malaysian Casino Giant Gets Approval For NY Operation

By Dawn Wotapka and A.D. Pruitt
September 13, 2010

Genting Bhd., the growing Malaysian casino giant, says it received final approval to operate the first gambling parlor in the Queens borough of New York City.

"We are eager to immediately begin investing, creating jobs, sparking economic activity and bringing New York a one-of-a-kind iconic, entertainment destination," K.T. Lim, chairman of Genting Malaysia Berhad (4715.KU), said in a statement.

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli labeled the deal "one of the most important vendor contracts New York has ever signed."

"It's a 30-year license that carries the future of New York's racing industry on its back," he added in a statement.

While the Aqueduct Race Track operation, Genting's first in the U.S., will initially be limited to 4,500 slot machines and electronic table games, Genting hopes it will eventually expand into a destination resort that would include upscale hotels and attract international travelers.

The company, which controls casino resorts in Malaysia and Singapore, oil palm plantations and the Norwegian Cruise lines, is hoping Aqueduct will open the gateway to the U.S.'s vast gaming terrain.

Genting is eyeing U.S. gaming opportunities in places like Las Vegas, California and Massachusetts and has plans to possibly spin off at some point its U.S. operation into a separate public company.


_____________________________________


http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100913/REAL_ESTATE/100919957/0/REAL_ESTATE#

At long last, a winner at Aqueduct
After nearly a decade of botched races, NY state comptroller makes it official, gives nod to Genting
for racino expected to generate $1.5M a day; $380M check in the mail.

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/CN/20100913/REAL_ESTATE/100919957/Aqueduct.jpg?ref=AR&MaxW=800

By Amanda Fung
September 13, 2010

It's official— Genting New York has crossed the finish line and will bring video slot machines to the rundown Aqueduct Racetrack.

As expected, New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced Monday that he has signed off on the lucrative contract with Genting New York, part of giant Kuala Lumpur-based casino operator Genting Malaysia Berhad, for a video lottery facility at Aqueduct. Mr. DiNapoli was the last state official needed to approve the contact, which is effective immediately.

“After nearly a decade of false starts and broken promises, the VLT contract is done,” Mr. DiNapoli said in a press statement. “This is one of the most important vendor contracts New York has ever signed. The contract involves hundreds of millions of dollars. It's a 30-year license that carries the future of New York's racing industry on its back.”

Genting now needs to deliver its check for $380 million, the promised upfront licensing fee, to the state. Assuming all goes as planned, 1,600 video slot machines will be open by this spring. Genting expects to generate $1.5 million per day in revenue for the state once it has all 4,500 video slot machines in place in about a year.

“Genting Malaysia Berhad is honored to have earned final approval to begin building a new facility at Aqueduct," said K.T. Lim, chairman of Genting Malaysia Berhad, in a press statement. "We are eager to immediately begin investing, creating jobs, sparking economic activity and bringing New York a one-of-a-kind iconic, entertainment destination.”

The final sign-off comes a week after reports came out that Mr. DiNapoli was concerned over the selection of Genting. Mr. DiNapoli's office confirmed that it had more questions for New York Lottery regarding Genting but declined to elaborate.

“My office did this right and we did it expeditiously without sacrificing thoroughness. We took every step to ensure the taxpayers are safeguarded in this contract,” said Mr. DiNapoli. “It's New Yorkers' money; it's my job to protect it.”

This latest, and now officially the final round of bidding to build and operate a racino in Ozone Park, Queens, has been deemed more transparent and faster than the four previous rounds.

In addition to slots, Genting intends to open a 200-seat high-end Chinese restaurant, a sports bar with a 280-seat lounge, other buffet-style restaurants, and even a water show. The company said it expects to complete the restaurants, food court and 2,200-space parking garage within one year of its contract start.

[NYguy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/nyregion/28casino.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion

Paying Fee, Firm Is Set to Bring Slots to Aqueduct

By CHARLES V. BAGLI
September 27, 2010


The check is in; the gambling may soon begin.

Genting New York, the company selected to operate electronic slot machines at the Aqueduct racetrack in Queens, gave the state its $380 million licensing fee on Friday, and says it hopes to begin work soon. A subsidiary of the largest gambling company in England and Southeast Asia, Genting says it will have 1,600 electronic slots running at the aging track six months after receiving a final environmental review and a total of 4,525 machines within a year.

The slot parlor at Aqueduct will be the city’s first casino and will bring to an end a lengthy travail of false starts, delays and political squabbling. “After almost a decade of delay, this project is finally becoming a reality and all New Yorkers will benefit,” Gov. David A. Paterson said at a news conference Monday.

Genting is so eager to get a foothold in the New York City market that it delivered the payment five days before it was due. When fully open, the slot parlor is expected to be the most successful of nine tracks in the state that have slots and generate more than $1.5 million a day in tax revenue for the state.

Most of that tax money is earmarked for education. Genting plans to refurbish the drab Aqueduct building, creating a three-story gambling hall with an elevated passageway to the nearby subway stop. The top floor, which will be for large public events, could be used for poker, roulette and other table games, should the state permit them.

At the news conference, Mike Speller, the president of Genting, said the company “is excited to have crossed the finish line and will now quickly get to work building a first-class casino that will not only showcase the best in gaming and entertainment, but will result in more than 2,000 jobs and significant recurring revenue for New York State.”

[NYguy]

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100929/REAL_ESTATE/100929810

Work on Aqueduct racino to begin in Nov.
First phase with 1,600 slot machines to open in the spring; $241 million facility to be completed in 18 months expected to generate $1.5 million a day in tax revenue for NY.

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/CN/20100929/REAL_ESTATE/100929810/Resorts-World-New-York-Aqueduct.jpg?ref=AR&MaxW=800

By Amanda Fung
September 29, 2010

Construction company Tutor Perini Corp. announced Wednesday that it will commence building the sprawling, much-delayed video-slot-machine facility at Aqueduct Racetrack around the first of November.

The company is working for developer Genting New York, the winning bidder in the decade-long race to revive the crumbling racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens.

At a news conference earlier this week, Genting New York, part of a giant Malaysian-based casino and cruise ship operator, announced it had delivered its upfront licensing fee of $380 million—five days ahead of the official deadline. Tutor Perini said the construction costs of the 4,500 video-slot-machine facility will be $241 million. When the racino is completed in 18 months, it is expected to generate $1.5 million a day in tax revenue to the state.

“Genting is excited to have crossed the finish line and will now quickly get to work building a first-class casino that will not only showcase the best in gaming and entertainment, but will result in more than 2,000 jobs and significant recurring revenue for New York state,” said Mike Speller, president of Genting New York, in a statement.

“They are ready to move forward with construction, and we are anxious to see the facility get up and running, hopefully by the spring with the initial phase,” said Betty Braton, chair of Community Board 10, which covers the area around the race track.

The new facility, dubbed Resorts World New York, will have a newly-constructed entrance lobby and porte-cochere, as well as an elevated and covered walkway that will connect the facility to the subway station. Tutor also said it will improve the exterior of the existing structure, as well as roadways, parking lots and landscaping. Genting plans to open a 200-seat high-end Chinese restaurant, a sports bar with a 280-seat lounge, several buffet-style restaurants, and even a water show. The company said it expects to complete the restaurants, food court and roughly 2,100-space, multi-level parking garage a little over a year after construction starts.

The facility will open in three phases, so it can begin operations almost immediately, according to Tutor Perini. The first 1,600 video slots are expected to be in operation this spring. At the end of the second phase, the remaining slots will open as well as a light show, the restaurants, a sports bar and the entrance lobby.

[NYguy]

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20101024/REAL_ESTATE/310249992#

Some may lose in Aqueduct game
Flea market seen as local institution faces ouster by racino

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/CN/20101024/REAL_ESTATE/310249992/Aqueduct-flea-market.jpg?ref=AR&MaxW=800

By Patrick Clark
October 24, 2010

It's easy to spot the winners in the long-awaited deal to put hundreds of video slot machines in a new racino at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. New York state gets a $380 million licensing fee and future tax revenue to bank on, while Malaysian gaming company Genting gets to put 4,500 video slot terminals just three miles from John F. Kennedy International Airport. Meanwhile, the local economy gets a big shot in the arm from a project expected to generate 1,300 construction and 800 permanent jobs.

To find the probable losers, look no further than the South Ozone Park racetrack's sprawling front parking lot. There, 1,000 vendors stage the city's largest flea market on Tuesdays and weekends from April through December. For those small business operators, mostly immigrants, the flea market is their first toehold on the path to prosperity. With the flea market facing possible closure, the vendors' prospects are uncertain, and they may find their lives upended.

Consider Vietnam native Mike Thai, who has sold cheap wristwatches at Aqueduct for the past 10 years. On a day when the sun is shining and shoppers are plentiful, he can clear a profit of around $400. Since news of the racino deal broke, he's been considering relocating to a New Jersey flea market but worries that the 90-minute drive is too far.

“The problem is, my van is old,” Mr. Thai says. “It's not going to make it.”

Mortgage blues

Sandy Harry faces a more desperate situation. For the past eight years, the Guyanese immigrant has supplemented her income as a babysitter for a Manhattan family by selling jewelry and apparel at the flea market. Confident that she was getting ahead, she took an adjustable-rate mortgage and bought a house in Richmond Hill. When the interest rate jumped, she found herself struggling to make payments.

“Without this, I will lose my home,” Ms. Harry says. “I take the little salary I make in the city and I invest it to sell at the market to make a profit and pay my bills.”

According to the Center for an Urban Future's World of Opportunity report, immigrant entrepreneurs like Mr. Thai and Ms. Harry are among the most dependable engines of the city's economy, creating growth in all cycles. Many of them make their money catering to the needs of fast-growing immigrant populations.

Vishnu Mahadeo, president of the Economic Development Council in Richmond Hill, notes that many residents in his area rely on vendors like Mr. Thai and Ms. Harry for inexpensive goods they send to their families abroad.

“When they want to fill their suitcases to send back to their home country, the flea market is one of the places they go,” Mr. Mahadeo says.

Not everyone, however, would be sorry to see the flea market close. Some local residents consider it a source of garbage and crime.

Betty Braton, chairman of Community Board 10, which includes the racetrack, declined to comment on the fate of the flea market, but says she supports the racino because of all the jobs it will create.

Now hiring

Those jobs are already starting to appear.[b]Genting is planning an Oct. 28 groundbreaking. A company spokesman says that hiring is ramping up in advance of that date. He also says that Genting has made no decision about the flea market. Nonetheless, the company told the Community Board back in July that the market would have to move.

The flea market's operator, Plain N Fancy Shows, which has only a month-to-month lease, says it has yet to be told if the market is staying or going. Although Mr. Thai wonders why there has been little concern for the vendor jobs that stand to be lost, he is resigned to moving on.

“We always stock up for Christmas shopping,” he says. “But I've talked to my friends here [in the market], and everyone says, "The flea market's ending.' This year, we're just liquidating [our stock].” ?

[NYguy]

http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/nyc-s-big-casino-gamble-begins-1.2407466

NYC's big casino gamble begins

http://cdn.newsday.com/polopoly_fs/1.2407474.1288227391!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/display_576/image.jpg

10/27/10
By Erik Ortiz

Will the planned groundbreaking today of New York City’s first casino ultimately infuse a bit of Las Vegas in Queens?

The project, known as Resorts World New York, is set to make over the aging Aqueduct Racetrack site with a sleek, shiny design. Its owner, Genting New York, plans to install 4,500 video slot machines, the first 1,600 of which will be ready by May, project officials said.

“Upscale, certainly,” said Genting spokesman Stefan Friedman of the concept yesterday. “Definitely not Vegas, though.”

The $325 million construction project includes building a two-story sports bar and lounge, a food court, a high-end Chinese restaurant and an indoor water show to open by the end of next year. A new pedestrian bridge will connect to the Aqueduct subway stop.

But when it comes to its marketing, Resorts won’t be courting any specific type of customer, Friedman said.

At Empire City at Yonkers Raceway, currently the closest casino to New York City, the slots demographic skews older and female, said Tim Rooney Jr., whose family owns the casino.

The slots parlor hosts monthly comedy nights as one way to attract a younger crowd, Rooney said, adding that there’s “plenty population” for both Empire City and Resorts to thrive.

Resorts is expected to top Empire City, potentially generating more than $1 million in revenue per day for the state’s education fund.

Some New Yorkers are hesitant about having a casino in their backyard, especially since there won’t be table games, like Blackjack, offered.

“I think I’d go more to the full casino, because if I go with friends, we go to shows and to restaurants,” said Seborn Ragsdale, 42, of Hell’s Kitchen, who’s planning a trip to Las Vegas next month. “It’s the whole experience of going.”

(With Heidi Lee)

[NYguy]

ny1


bjm5vC5ZaKk

[NYguy]

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20450309&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574908&rfi=6
Racino construction officially underway

http://images.zwire.com/local/Z/Zwire2731/zwire/images/42409_W533.jpg

by Bryan Yurcan, Assistant Editor
11/04/2010

Genting officials have said they envision Resorts World New York as both a day trip destination and an evening entertainment option.
The company believes the facility will attract residents from throughout the city as well as tourists in large part due to it’s easy access by subway.

Mike Speller, president of Genting New York, also believes the facility will attract short-term visitors who stop by for a few hours, such as those who have a layover at Kennedy International Airport or who are returning home from Mets games.

Speller said the facility will provide more than 1,300 construction jobs and, once completed, 800 permanent jobs. “Queens wants and needs these jobs,” Speller said.

The company predicts that the state will receive at least $300 million annually in revenue generated from the casino, surely music to the ears of the calvacade of state officials that were present.

Genting has said the first phase of the project, which would include some 1,600 VLTs, will be open to the public approximately six months after the first shovel hits the ground. That means residents of south Queens and beyond could be gambling at Aqueduct by late March or early April. Genting expects the full complement of electronic gaming machines to be up and running about a year after construction starts on the project, which should be finished 18 months later.

Once the facility is complete, it will consist of a 93,000-square-foot gaming area on the first floor and a 42,500-square-foot gaming area on the second floor, an entrance with a three-story atrium and water feature, and a 2,200-car-parking facility, with valet service also available. The company is also constructing an enclosed walkway connecting the casino to the Aqueduct A train stop, so those who travel by subway won’t have to brave inclement weather conditions.

_____________________________________


http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20450310&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574908&rfi=6
With casino on the way, what of the flea market?

http://images.zwire.com/local/Z/Zwire2731/zwire/images/42414_W175.jpg

by Bryan Yurcan and Lisa A. Fraser,
11/04/2010

Amidst all the hoopla over the gaming and entertainment facility that Asian casino giant Genting is going to construct at the racetrack, known as Resorts World New York, little has been said about the fate of New York City’s largest flea market, which operates on Tuesdays and weekends from April through December.

“Nobody tells us anything about it,” said Yvonne Kissoon, one of the protesters standing outside the track’s front gate.

The protester said she hoped some of the politicians at the groundbreaking event would stop and talk to the vendors, but that none had.

The flea market’s operator, Long Island-based Plain N Fancy Shows Inc., has a month-to-month lease, and Kissoon says neither that company nor Genting has told vendors whether or not the flea market will continue once the casino opens.

“Maybe they will plan to close the market,” said Aftab Hussein, who has worked as a vendor there for more than 10 years selling men’s clothing. “But we want them to leave some space for the market so everybody can survive.”

It’s the only way the Flushing resident makes a living, and if the flea market dies, Hussein said, he is not sure where his next employment will come from. “This market has been around over 35 years, everybody in New York knows this place,” Hussein said, noting that he has had customers from as far away as Maryland.


_________________________________


http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=85176
Codey continues fight for Meadowlands casino

Harnesslink Admin
10-Nov-2010

"It's good that we're working on some items, but all of this doesn't fix the problems until we are allowed to have slot machines at the tracks," Codey was quoted as saying inthe Asbury Park Press. "States near us are racking up millions and millions of dollars -- even billions, when Aqueduct opens its casino -- from slots at their racetracks."

Codey...noted that countless New Jersey dollars would flow over the Hudson River to Aqueduct Racetrack, where ground has been broken for a $380 million racino that will be home to 4,000 video lottery terminals.

Codey told the Senate panel that citizens of New Jersey "will flock to Aqueduct like you can't believe. Eight hundred million dollars (which is what some estimate would flow to New Jersey coffers if a Meadowlands racino was opened) will walk over the bridges to Delaware, New York and Pennsylvania. That's sad."

[NYguy]

http://www.queenstribune.com/deadline/Deadline_112410_AqueductFleaMarketGivenNoticeToLeave.html
Aqueduct Flea Market Given Notice To Leave

http://www.queenstribune.com/upload/images/Deadline_112410_FleaMarket.jpg

By DOMENICK RAFTER

The Aqueduct Flea Market, which has been a staple in the north parking lot of Aqueduct Racetrack for decades, will shut down after the holiday season because of construction of the new Resorts World New York casino, according to a statement released by Resorts World New York on Nov. 22.

“Having heard from the vendors that they wanted an answer quickly in order to make their future plans, Resorts World New York expedited its review process,” the statement read. “Since the Aqueduct facility will be a construction site for several months, the Division of the Lottery determined that the continued presence of the flea market would raise safety concerns, in addition to being incompatible with the future use of the property.

“As a result, we have informed the Aqueduct flea market operator, Plain & Fancy Shows, Inc., that the contract permitting the operation of a flea market at Aqueduct will not be renewed after the contract’s Dec. 21, 2010 expiration date, although the market will be allowed to operate through the holidays, until Dec. 31, 2010,” the statement continued.

Resorts World said any future retail activity on the site would fall under the purview of the Division of the Lottery, which would need to approve and regulate any further retail activity on the site.

Borough President Helen Marshall has been involved in finding an alternate site for the vendors, when their future was in doubt in recent months. Dan Andrews, spokesman for the borough president, said sites such as Belmont Racetrack and Citi Field were being considered, but in light of Monday’s statement, finding an alternate site, Andrews said, would be a “heavy lift.”

“We encourage [the vendors] to reach out to the Dept. of Parks and see if they can help locate a site,” he said.

Andrews said Marshall wanted the Division of the Lottery to explain its reasons in writing.

[NYguy]

http://www.drf.com/news/horses-stabled-aqueduct-move-out-speed-casino-construction

Horses stabled at Aqueduct move out to speed up casino construction

By David Grening
02/11/2011

In an effort to expedite the construction of the casino at Aqueduct, the New York Racing Association will close the Big A’s backstretch for seven weeks and horses stabled there will be moved to Belmont Park to train. Racing at Aqueduct will not be interrupted.

The approximately 350 horses stabled at Aqueduct will begin moving to Belmont on Monday and the plan is to have all the horses transferred to Belmont by Friday, according to NYRA officials. It is expected that the horses will be permitted back at Aqueduct beginning April 4. There are currently only 1,200 horses stabled at Belmont, which has a capacity for more than 2,000.

Without horses training over Aqueduct’s inner track in the morning, construction can now take place uninterrupted until post time on race days.

First post is 12:30 p.m. Eastern. Previously, construction stopped during training hours, 5:30 to 9 a.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; 5:30 to 9:45 a.m. on Sundays. Training had been eliminated on Mondays.

Construction of the casino – which will house 4,500 slot machines and be known as Resorts World New York – has hit some delays, first in the permit process and then with asbestos abatement.

Initially, Genting New York, the company in charge of building the casino, had hoped to open part of the casino in May. More than likely, the casino won’t be ready to open until late summer.

According to Hal Handel, NYRA’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, Genting will soon begin doing some structural steel reinforcement work outside, which will include heavy machinery and could create a significant amount of noise. In addition, construction crews are still in the midst of dismantling the Aqueduct grandstand.

“Really, everything they accomplish after the next two months is based on how much they get done in the next two months,’’ Handel said Friday. “Their construction company said to us they thought this could speed the whole process up as much as four to eight weeks.’’

Handel said that management was “very appreciative’’ that the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, headed by president trainer Rick Violette, agreed to the move. Violette, who has a 35-horse string stabled at Aqueduct, noted that it was an inconvenience, but a necessary one.

“The horsemen agree that the earlier we get this open the better things are going to be,’’ Violette said. “Every week that goes by costs purses a million to a million and a half dollars. This could move things up by as much as a month, so that’s a lot of money. For the greater good, the horsemen agreed to do it.’’

Other horsemen with large outfits stabled at Aqueduct include Richard Dutrow Jr., Rudy Rodriguez, Gary Contessa, and David Jacobson.

In addition to the 350 horses that have to move, approximately 120 to 150 employees who live on the Aqueduct backstretch will be transferred to Belmont.

Genting is picking up the costs of transporting and bedding down the horses.

While the backstretch is empty, NYRA also will do some much-needed works on the barns and dorms.

[patriotizzy]

Does anyone have picture updates for this? Or has there been no construction...

[NYguy]

Does anyone have picture updates for this? Or has there been no construction...

I haven't seen any photos yet...(but here's some rubble...http://www.flickr.com/photos/nyhorseracing/5439088503/sizes/l/in/photostream/)


According to Hal Handel, NYRA’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, Genting will soon begin doing some structural steel reinforcement work outside, which will include heavy machinery and could create a significant amount of noise. In addition, construction crews are still in the midst of dismantling the Aqueduct grandstand.


Some renderings from GNYLECET (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnylecet/5425225324/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5052/5425225324_8500b81d6d_b.jpg



http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5219/5425226456_be2ce31f54_b.jpg



http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5060/5424626961_ec346786a4_b.jpg



http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5300/5425233170_a911c804ab_b.jpg

[NYguy]

A little search reveals more work...

http://www.rwnewyork.com/construction/index.htm


http://www.rwnewyork.com/construction/images/080211_01.jpg


http://www.rwnewyork.com/construction/images/080211_02.jpg


http://www.rwnewyork.com/construction/images/080211_03.jpg


http://www.rwnewyork.com/construction/images/080211_04.jpg


http://www.rwnewyork.com/construction/images/080211_05.jpg


http://www.rwnewyork.com/construction/images/310111_02.jpg


http://www.rwnewyork.com/construction/images/310111_01.jpg


http://www.rwnewyork.com/construction/images/310111_05.jpg



Another rendering and location:

http://www.rwnewyork.com/media/images/media.jpg




http://www.rwnewyork.com/getting_here/images/siteaccess.jpg