The Casino will pay sales taxes to the county and 48%of its profit to the state.
H-O-L-Y S-H-!-t
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
the project is expected to generate $8.2 million in tax revenue for Schenectady County and the city, as well as $65.7 million in statewide school aid or property tax relief.
JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!! JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!
It NOT and, it's total... the 48% profit payment is the 65.7 million
65.7 million divided by 695 districts (total in NYS), means each district would get $95,000 in relief a year, that would pay for 1.5 more STARTING teachers and about 1/2 of an additional administrator. Districts have been claiming for years they are at bare bones because of state cutbacks, even though we STILL spend more per student than ANY other state in the country....so, you're dreaming if you think your school taxes are going down AT ALL...this additional funding will just be absorbed...
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
It NOT and, it's total... the 48% profit payment is the 65.7 million
65.7 million divided by 695 districts (total in NYS), means each district would get $95,000 in relief a year, that would pay for 1.5 more STARTING teachers and about 1/2 of an additional administrator. Districts have been claiming for years they are at bare bones because of state cutbacks, even though we STILL spend more per student than ANY other state in the country....so, you're dreaming if you think your school taxes are going down AT ALL...this additional funding will just be absorbed...
correct...didn't mean to mislead by claiming the 65.7 was additional...sorry
JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!! JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!
we'll see when all you see at the gambling place (especially in the daylight hours) are the Senior citizens
spending their Soc Sec on a fortune they want that is rigged
You ARE joshing us here right? The local seniors will be saving on 'travel money'. Seniors are at wade tours DAILY schlepping themselves to Turing Stone/Saratoga/Mohegan!! Good for them....at least they're not sitting home doing nothing! As for them spending their social security money gambling.....that is their CHOICE.
Look....I may not be dancing in the street over this casino....but everyone is RESPONSIBLE FOR THEMSELVES. We can't protect everyone from themselves.
again....it is what it is....time will tell.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
CHITTENANGO, N.Y. -- The Oneida Indian Nation will open a $20 million casino in Chittenango in 2015, expanding its gaming empire as New York welcomes its first non-Indian casinos.
Oneida Indian officials say they don't need approvals from any governments to launch the Yellow Brick Road Casino, which will have 436 Vegas-style slot machines and a Bingo hall in Tops Chittenago Plaza on Route 5, 14 miles east of downtown Syracuse.
The Oneidas - whose sprawling Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona has dominated gaming in Central New York for two decades - plan to open the new casino in the spring.
The Oneidas announced their plans just four days after a state panel recommended licensing three non-Indian casinos in Upstate New York.
Rochester developer Thomas Wilmot is planning to build one of those, a $425 million casino and hotel, 42 miles west of Syracuse in Seneca County. Wilmot promises his casino will have 2,000 slot machines and 85 table games - about the same number as Turning Stone.
The Oneidas' Chittenango casino looks like their first counter-punch in what promises to be a high-stakes fight for gamblers' dollars. At 67,000 square feet, it will be much smaller and less glitzy than Wilmot's proposed resort or Turning Stone, but located closer to Syracuse.
Ray Halbritter, Oneida Nation representative and chief executive officer, said the new casino would be opened whether or not New York approves Wilmot's Lago Resort & Casino. He said the decision to build the Chittenango casino was not influenced by Wilmot's plan.
"Competition isn't anything new to us - we have Vernon Downs,'' he said, referring to the harness race track with video lottery machines. "And there are casinos in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
"From the day we opened, we told our management to always make your decisions as if a competing casino was right across the street,'' Halbritter said.
No limit on Oneida casinos
The terms of the 1993 Oneida Nation Gaming Compact with New York and a 2013 compact permit the Oneida Nation to operate casino games on nation lands, Halbritter said.
Because the Chittenango casino is on Oneida reservation land, no permission is needed from federal, state or local governments to open the casino and the Oneidas don't need a license from New York, Halbritter said.
Halbritter said there is no legal limit on the number of casinos the Oneidas could open on their reservation land, adding "the only limit is good business sense."
The National Indian Gaming Commission allows Class 3 gaming, including slot machines, on tribal lands held in federal trust within the terms of compacts between states and independent Indian nations like the Oneidas.
The 2013 gaming compact signed by the Oneidas and Gov. Andrew Cuomo also settled outstanding land claims and gave the nation the exclusive right to gaming activity in a 10-county area around the Turning Stone Casino.
The agreement puts a cap of 25,370 acres of Oneida land within the boundaries of Madison and Oneida counties.
The compact spells out the kinds of casino games allowed on that land, but it does not appear to mention the need for any more approval from the state.
The New York State Gaming Commission did not respond to questions about its role in any oversight or approval of new Oneida nation gaming.
The federal government does not have to approve the opening of an Indian casino, but does play a role in reviewing gaming ordinances and licenses approved by the Indian nation's own governments, according to a spokesman for the NIGC.
The Oneidas' Yellow Brick Road Casino will be located in a shopping plaza the nation owns on property that is part of 25,000 acres of trust land.
In exchange for exclusive casino rights in the 10 counties, the Oneida nation agreed to share, for the first time, 25 percent of its slot revenues with state and local governments. The Oneidas said then they expected to pay about $50 million per year from Turning Stone slots for the exclusive 10-county casino rights. Revenues from the Yellow Brick Road Casino will be part of that, said Oneida nation spokesman Joel Barkin.
Wilmot plans to open his casino in 2015 just outside of the 10-county region if he succeeds in obtaining a license from New York. He'll have to pay New York $35 million for the license. He'll also be required to pay an annual tax to New York estimated to be $79 million in the first year.
What prompted the development of the Yellow Brick Road casino now was the trust land settlement and 2013 compact that ended decades of legal battles between the nation and the state and counties, Halbritter said. That settlement was upheld by a federal judge in March.
The Oneidas didn't want to invest millions in the new casino if there were ongoing disputes about the land, the Oneidas say.
"The settlement resolved issues and helped bring some security to us,'' Halbritter said.
The Oneidas can only open a casino without seeking state approval if it's on their reservation land, which is only in Madison and Oneida counties. If they wanted to open a casino in Onondaga County, for example, they would need to follow the same procedures and get the same approvals as any outside developer, Halbritter said.
The Chittenango casino is the only one planned at this time, Barkin said.
Inside the Chittenango casino
The new casino, just one mile from the Onondaga County line, will be in the vacant portion of the Tops plaza off West Genesee Street, or Route 5, in the village of Chittenango. It will not have table games, but will feature a 500-seat Bingo hall. There will be two casual dining restaurants, a country-western bar, and the Oz General Store, which will sell tobacco products, pre-packaged food and beverages, bingo supplies and other items.
The Oneida nation plans to apply to the New York State Liquor Authority for a license to serve alcohol at the new casino.
The casino's name has been selected to reflect Chittenango's identity as the birthplace of L. Frank Baum, author of the "Wonderful Wizard of Oz," nation officials said. It also will have "Wizard of Oz" themes throughout the interior.
The casino will employ about 250 people once it opens.
Market research conducted by the Oneida nation pointed to "a definite demand" for this type of gaming in this region. It will likely attract people from local counties and statewide, Barkin said.
The new casino will provide customers with a different experience than Turning Stone Resort Casino, Barkin said. Turning Stone, the fifth-largest tourist attraction in the state, offering gaming, golf courses, hotels, entertainment, spas, 20 dining choices and in 2016 luxury retail outlet shopping.
The Yellow Brick Road Casino will be aimed at people who aren't staying overnight, as there will be no hotel as part of the project, and it will offer convenient gambling.
"It will be a different experience than Turning Stone,'' Halbritter said. "It will be more of a casual venue, and one that will pay respects to the community's identity. It will be an exciting, fresh look."
The casino will be open 24 hours a day.
Support from Chittenango mayor
Chittenango Mayor Ronny Goeler, one of the few local officials whom the Oneidas have told about their plans, said the casino will help revitalize the area, and bring tourists to the area who will then frequent local businesses.
Goeler said he and the Nation are working cooperatively on cross-marketing the casino and businesses in the village.
"This is going to be really good for Chittenango,'' he said. "It will create jobs, and may even get people to move here."
The casino will offer a counter-service restaurant offering a variety of grill and deli-style options including burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, French fries, deli sandwiches, soups and salads, as well as dinner entrees. There also will be a pizza restaurant.
The country-western style bar will feature live entertainment from local musicians.
Hayner Hoyt Corp. of Syracuse is handling general contracting and construction management for the new casino and Hnedak Bobo Group, who designed the Seneca Indian Nation's Buffalo Creek Casino, is handling the design work.
Members of the Central and Northern Building Trades Council union will be called on to provide dozens of construction jobs while the renovation takes place.
The Chittenango project comes on the heels of last month's announcement that Turning Stone Resort Casino will build a $100 million, 250-000-square-foot luxury retail, dining and entertainment center on its grounds. It is slated to open fall 2016.
"Approval ratings go up and down for various reasons... An example is the high post 911 support for GWB even though he could be said to be responsible for the event." --- Box A Rox '9/11 Truther'
Melania is a bimbo... she is there to look at, not to listen to. --- Box A Rox and his 'War on Women'
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Heard that they may have to increase fire/police to accommodate the casino. just a tip of the iceberg folks.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Caesars — the giant gambling company — put its largest unit into bankruptcy on Thursday. The company was acquired by private equity firms Apollo and TPG in 2008 just as the financial crisis was pushing the economy into recession. It never recovered and has more than $20 billion in debt.
The seeds of this fight go back to just before the financial crisis, when two private equity firms, Apollo Global Management and TPG Capital, borrowed massively to buy the company, saddling it with over $20 billion in debt. Gaming traffic fell off dramatically during the crisis. Atlantic City suffered, and Caesars' bid to get a gaming license in Macau, the world's largest gambling market, didn't pan out. The company has lost money four years in a row. And its debts have ballooned.
This Wednesday (Jan. 14, at 6:30 pm, Rm. 14, City Hall) the Schenectady Planning Commission will hold a special meeting to review the amendments suggested by the Mayor for our Casino Facility Zoning Laws. More precisely, to review the proposed changes to the C-3 Waterfront-Mixed Use District provisions of Schenectady's zoning code.
It is disconcerting to find yet another rush to pass casino-related legislation, with virtually no time to read, research, review, consider the proposals. This weekend, I (as a concerned citizen and neighbor of the casino, a retired lawyer interested in zoning and planning law, and as Editor of StopTheSchenectadyCasino.com) tried to go through the major amendment provisions, and I find many of them to be worrisome. My concerns can be found in the posting "The house is already winning: giving away the shore." You can also use this short URL to reach the posting: http://tinyurl.com/C3Giveaways
In summary, City Hall has given the Casino owners much more than they ever asked for in public, with the result that the site of the Rivers Casino at Mohawk Harbor may be significantly more crowded, gaudy and intrusive than we've been made to expect. I have tried to create useful images that are to scale to the best of my limited abilities and software, and time.
For example: •110' Hotel. The Amendments allow the casino hotel to be as high as 110'. The rendering that has been presented to the public and government entities for months is misleading, as it shows a building along the Mohawk that appears to be about 65 feet in height.
How tall is 110 feet? The Parker Inn (next to Proctor's) was historically Schenectady's tallest building is just under 99 feet. The Hampton Inn down the block perhaps 55-60 feet tall.*
•40-foot setbacks. The amendments would allow setbacks along the River of only 40 feet, when the Applicant stated that there would be setbacks of no less than 50 feet. The row of park benches in Riverside Park is about 40 feet from the riverbank; the webposting has a photo.
•20,000 sq. ft. of signage. The amendment makes all Signage requirements for the other zoning districts (Article IX) inapplicable to the casino district. The Casino asked for 15,000 square feet of signage, which is 100 times more than the 150 sq. ft. maximum in Art. IX. City Hall proposed one-third more than the Applicant said it wanted, 20,000 square feet. •Giant Freestanding Sign. An amendment makes the 10-foot maximum for a freestanding sign inapplicable. The Casino says it wants a pylon up to 80-feet tall with several signs on it, including electronic message boards, to help people find the casino. [pylon example: Jumpin' Jack's shorter version.] That giant pylon would be placed basically at the corner of Front St. and Nott St., a few yards from Erie Boulevard. Eighty feet is 8 feet taller than the imposing Wedgeway building at Erie and State.
•Electronic Signs Changing every 8 seconds, not 60. An amendment would allow electronic message boards to change every 8 seconds, instead of the current minimum interval of 60 seconds (once per minute, as with the new Proctor's marquee). Oddly, the Casino applicant stated its sign would change every ten seconds, but City Hall decided to go for an even greater change from current practice • An amendment would allow the embayment to be counted in calculating the square footage of the site, thereby permitting a larger total footprint for the casino's buildings, meaning more bulk and less open space
You may recall that the Applicant said in its impact statements that there would be no adverse impact on the "viewscape" of people in the Stockade, because the Casino compound could not be seen from the Stockade (e.g., the Front St. train trestle blocks the view, according to the Applicant). The taller hotel and an 80-foot sign, plus the illumination of thousands of square feet of signage, might make that assessment too optimistic.
Lately, City Hall gives no explanation for changes. Tonight night, Monday the 12th, the Council plans to vote to hold a public hearing on January 26, on the zoning and electronic sign changes; and it will vote to refer the proposed amendments to the Planning Commission.
Now that they have their casino victory, it is time for our local leaders to start asking tough questions and doing their homework before passing major zoning changes that will affect the appearance of our scarce riverbank and the image of Schenectady far into the future.
David
phone: 518-xxxxxxx */ This collage shows what a Hampton Inn twice as tall might look like on State Street.
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