By Walt
There is no way the Shinnecock will get a casino at Belmont Park. It doesn't matter what any local officials say; only New York State can permit this to happen. Right now, Resorts World New York City, located at Aqueduct, is regulated by New York State. The agreement with them gives a 30 mile exclusivity clause. I believe Belmont Park is only a few miles from Aqueduct. Secondly, facilities like Resorts World regulated by the state give almost double the profits back to the state than any of the Native American casinos. The state is also moving to make table games legal, and the facility at Aqueduct will be one of the first ones to get table games. Looks like the Shinnecock will have to settle for a location in Suffolk County!
This group is asking for double the management fees from what they would get at other casinos. If they are like the Mohawk casino near the border with Canada, the natives won't be getting the job they expect and will have a token say in how things are run. It is evident that tribal trustees are profiting by having salaries paid to them over the past ten years, salaries for what? For selling out the interests of their tribal members for their own personal interest. These tribal leaders should be in jail! Tribal members would be smart to vote no and kill this agreement, and secondly to elect a new tribal council who has your interests at heart!
It is evident
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Artist's Rendering: Belmont Hotel & Entertainment Entrance proposed by Gateway Casino Resorts with Shinnecock Nation |
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Artist's Rendering: Belmont Arena Plaza and Monorail proposed by Gateway Casino Resorts with Shinnecock Nation |
Long Island Democrats
Blindly Endorse CasinoNASSAU COUNTY, NY – Nassau County’s four Democratic members of the New York State Assembly today announced their support for a Shinnecock Indian Nation casino at Belmont Racetrack. Assembly Members Earlene Hooper, Harvey Weisenberg, Charles Lavine and Michelle Schimel cited jobs and economic opportunity as the driving factors and urged their colleagues in both the Senate and Assembly to join in support.
“This project will create thousands of jobs for Long Islanders and provide a huge boost to the local and state economies,” said Assemblywoman Earlene Hooper (D-Hempstead). “We need these revenues to stay here in New York, for both the state and Nassau County, so we can keep people working and create more jobs.”
Shinnecock Tribal Trustee Chairman Randy King said, “We appreciate the strong and growing support from all parts of Nassau County. A Shinnecock Nation entertainment complex will provide much needed jobs to help boost the Long Island economy, as well as created revenues for the County, the State and the Shinnecock Indian Nation, and we certainly thank Assembly Members Hooper, Weisenberg, Lavine and Schimel for their support”...
The four Assembly members announced their support on the heels of Representatives Carolyn McCarthy and Peter King joining the list of backers for the Shinnecock project. (Original Post)
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| Reps. McCarthy & Bishop |
In Arizona, found guilty of illegally discharging a fire arm and serving out terms of probation which included nearly $15,000 fine and a suspended license. (Minutes of AZ Hearing) |
| Mayor Thomas J. Tweedy |
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| Mayor Thomas J. Tweedy |
Renderings of casino displayed for local businesses
Belmont Racetrack has played host to events as large as third-leg of the Triple Crown and as small, but still of importance, as 5K charity walk/runs. If a Detroit-based hotel/casino resort development company has its way, the corridor of Elmont and a “gateway” to the rest of Long Island, will go through a considerable change.
. Developer Michael Malik presented renderings of a preliminary plan to the Elmont Chamber of Commerce last Thursday, Oct. 20. Malik’s colleagues Michael McKeon, Lance Boldrey and former Hawaii Governor John Waihee accompanied him.
left to right: Michael McKeon, Lance Boldrey,
John Waihee, Michael Malik
Malik, a partner to the Shinnecock Indian Nation and financial backer for the tribe’s casino proposal, said the development has been attempting to find its stride for several months, but began to gain momentum when Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano announced his Economic Development and Job Creation Plan in May. Malik has been at the forefront of heading event control for the World Series, the NCAA Final Four, among others. [REALLY Mike Malik? Maybe some of the people you share office space with at Ilitch headquarters have been involved at some level but you... He'll say anything!]
Malik revealed that he and his team have been targeting the Belmont’s development for six or seven years. Furthermore, the location is a prime spot for gaming development, according to Malik.
Malik designed the first development renderings in approximately 2005. They have since changed, dramatically.
The renderings were not permitted to be photographed, which showcased a casino building with a Victorian-style red brick facade, ground-to-ceiling paneled windows and a copper-patina roof, located on the southwest side of Belmont near the Cross Island Parkway, to give customers easier access and a new Belmont Park structure with the same design.
A grand entrance with fountains and galleries showcasing the history of Belmont is also in discussion. A circled driveway would take customers to and from the casino with malls of grass.
“Nothing has been set in stone; however, it has modernized features with a historic feel,” Malik said. “We would think to put the casino off the freeway itself, so that people can come on and off. We also added in a parking deck area on the opposite side of the street.”
The drawings also included an irrigation system on the south side of the park, beyond the main track, near the border of the Village of Floral Park, which has been prone to flooding. He stressed that these drawings “are not final.”
“The irrigation system would help to resolve that flooding problem, as well as help keep the track and surrounding green dry,” Malik explained.
Malik detailed an idea to take the flood waters that have plagued Floral Park and filter them into the infield in the middle of the track to provide a “welcomed aesthetic” to the infield, while addressing the flooding issues for the village to the north.
Other ideas portrayed in the renderings were a recreational area and private parking lot on the southern end of the park; an indoor train station next to the park; and a central area for parading horses before and after meets, and showing off winning horses. The alley that horses currently take into the park is hidden, beneath the bleachers, and the winner’s circle is closer to track level, away from spectators’ view.
Malik said the horse parades would be one of the many crucial pieces to the fan/family experience.
“We want the world to focus on Belmont,” he said. “We want people who are watching the Belmont Stakes on television to want to come.”
Malik detailed a new seating area in the center of the infield. He said the height of the building could be between 12 and 15 stories.
When Elmont Chamber President Chris Rosado asked Malik whether he thought the casino development might harm nearby businesses, Malik said that, although he couldn’t definitively say for sure, he believes a casino would boost business since the casino is expected to create at least 5,000 jobs.
Malik said he hopes to sit down with the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and discuss its proposal soon. Concerning negotiations, Malik would not divulge how long it would take.
“We want to get this done as soon as possible,” he said. “Hopefully within the next year we hope to be through our approvals. That’s kind of the guideline we’re in.
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| Sen. Charles Schumer |
Nassau County officials submitted an extensive economic development plan to the state Friday that envisions creating a bioscience research and development park and a new Nassau Coliseum in the Hub.
The proposal also focuses on Belmont Park as a site of new sports and entertainment options, including a potential soccer stadium, as well as expanding homeland security research facilities and film and television studios at the Grumman property in Bethpage.
The plan suggests that Belmont could be an alternative site for the Coliseum if the bioscience park would take up the entire 77-acre Hub site. It also reiterates County Executive Edward Mangano's earlier proposal for a Shinnecock Indian Nation casino at Belmont.
"It ties in with the colleges, it ties in to the job development plan, it ties into the skilled labor force here," Mangano said. "There's just a synergy for it in our region."
The proposal suggests 6,000 permanent jobs would be created at the Coliseum site alone.
The county is primarily asking for $253 million in state money for infrastructure and roadway improvements. It would still have to seek private developers for the rest of the proposals.
Nassau sent its application to the state's Empire State Development Corp. Friday as a "transformative project." The submission will first compete with other economic development projects across Long Island. Then the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council will choose top projects to compete with nine other regions for $200 million in state funds. The state's decision is expected in December.
Going forward, there will be an additional $800 million in state dollars available through various grants, tax credits and other funding streams.
The Ronkonkoma Hub, the Mall at Oyster Bay at the former Cerro Wire site and Heartland Town Square in Brentwood, among others, are also competing for funds.
"I think ours is a very practical plan that creates jobs in 2012 and that will give it the appeal the state is looking for," Mangano said.
Titled "Accelerate Nassau Now," the plan proposes 5.4 million square feet of development at the 77-acre Coliseum site. The centerpiece of the effort is a bioscience innovation facility -- a 50-acre research and development park that could be home to out-of-state companies hoping to expand.
A new Coliseum would be built at the northern edge of the property, although the county is also entertaining proposals for a renovated arena. A 6,000-car, $150 million parking garage would be shared between bioscience offices and the Coliseum.
The site would have room for housing and the existing Long Island Marriott.Beyond the site itself, the county proposes a $7 million state-funded research and development exposition center on other county land at Mitchell Field, where bioscience conferences could be held. The county also hopes to include a minor league ballpark and track and field facility there.
Labor unions said they support efforts to redevelop the Hub, which the county projects would create 7,500 new construction jobs.
Officials expect the parking garage and roadway improvements could be completed over the next two years. A request for proposals would be issued once state funding decisions are made in December.
What's in the new planAmong the proposals in the "Accelerate Nassau Now" plan released Friday are:
- A 50-acre Bioscience Innovation Facility -- a research and development park.
- A new Nassau Coliseum at the northern edge of the Hub site.
- A 6,000-car, $150 million parking garage at the site.
- New sports and entertainment options at Belmont Park, including a potential soccer stadium.
- Expanding homeland security research facilities and film and television studios at the Grumman property in Bethpage.
- A $7 million state-funded research and development exposition center at Mitchell Field.
- A minor league baseball park and track and field facility at Mitchell Field.
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| Michael McKeon, Lance Boldrey, former Gov. John Waihee, and Michael J. Malik, Sr. (Gateway Casino Resorts) |
A plan by the Shinnecock Indian Nation to build a casino at Belmont Park has been in the pipeline for several months, generating wide support from the surrounding community but meeting with skepticism from some locals who fear that the development could become a revenue-creating “island” with no spillover revenue for local businesses.
On Oct. 20, Elmont business owners were shown renderings of a preliminary development plan for a casino at the racetrack by Detroit-based casino developer Michael Malik, who also answered several questions about the plan.
Malik, a partner of the Shinnecock tribe and financial backer of its casino plan — which gained momentum when County Executive Ed Mangano announced an Economic Development and Job Creation Plan in May — was the guest speaker at the Elmont Chamber of Commerce’s regular meeting on Oct. 20 at King Umberto’s in Elmont. Michael McKeon, Lance Boldrey and John Waihee, associates of Malik’s, also attended the meeting.
The renderings, which were not allowed to be photographed, depicted a casino with a Victorian-style red brick façade, floor-to-ceiling paneled windows and a copper-patina roof, located on the southwest side of Belmont — close to the Cross Island Parkway, to give patrons easier access — and a reconstructed racetrack structure with the same design. Malik described the collective design as “modernized with a historic feel.”
The drawings also included an irrigation system on the south side of the 430-acre park, beyond the main track, near the Floral Park border, an area that has been prone to flooding. The system would not only help resolve the flooding problem, Malik explained, but would also help keep the track and surrounding green dry. There would also be a VIP viewing area in the center of the main track.
The renderings also include a recreational area and private parking lot on the southern end of the park, an indoor train station and a large central area for parading horses before and after races and showing off winning horses. The alley horses currently take into the park is hidden beneath the bleachers, and the winner’s circle is closer to track level, away from spectators’ view. “A parade of horses would be a focal point with this rendition,” Malik explained. “We want the world to focus on Belmont … we want people who are watching Belmont Stakes on television to want to come.” The building’s height, under the current plan, would be between 12 and 15 stories, he added.
When Chamber of Commerce President Chris Rosado asked Malik whether he thought the casino development might harm nearby businesses, Malik said that although he couldn’t say for sure, he believes that a casino would boost business, since it would be expected to create at least 5,000 jobs. “People are going to be eating and shopping here,” he explained.
Another question posed at the meeting was whether a plan recently proposed to reconstruct the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum at Belmont would affect the casino plan. Malik said that although the Coliseum-Belmont proposal threw him and his partners “for a loop,” he would be supportive of that plan as long as the community was.
“It could be an entertainment plus,” he said. “If I could have a 20,0000-seat arena, that could help us fill seats for the [casino theater] acts inside.”
Comments about this story? JNash@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 214.
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| Mayor Thomas J. Tweedy Floral Park, New York |
