Harriman casino prospects fall off the face of the Earth HARRIMAN – Harriman Mayor Steven Welle said on Tuesday that the prospects of a casino being built on the former Nepera plant within the village – always a long-shot In late February, Harriman and nearby Woodbury were astir with news that three developers were looking at a 130-acre undeveloped tract near the Harriman Metro-North train station in Woodbury and the 132-acre former Nepera plant in Harriman as possible casino sites. Then, Welle said, the casino buzz in Harriman fell off the face of the Earth. Welle said he was approached by a casino developer regarding the Nepera site. He said there was a discussion. And that, he said, was that. I am still not disclosing who I talked with, he said. They have requested anonymity and I am holding to that. Unlike the tight-lipped Welle, Woodbury Mayor Michael Queenan has been transparent in providing information regarding his talks with two casino developers in the media and in public meetings. That is why a large turnout of area residents is expected to attend Thursdays Village of Woodbury Board of Trustees meeting, which will feature a discussion about endorsing preliminary casino plans submitted by Cordish Companies of Baltimore and/or from Penn National Gaming of Wyomissing, Pa. State regulations require local government jurisdictions issue letters indicating their elected boards are willing to consider a casino proposal. Prospective casino developers must submit those letters as part of their license application to the New York Gaming Commissions newly created five-member Casino Selection Board by April 1. The Casino Selection Board must select four casino proposals for sites in the Capital District, Catskills and Southern Tier. The panel is expected to make the selections by fall. By state law, the casino developer must finance off-site infrastructure enhancements, including water and sewer capacity expansions, as well as extensive road improvements, while also funneling significant boosts in property, hotel and sales tax revenues into local municipalities coffers. Queenan said hes spoken most extensively with Cordish Cos., which wants to build a Las Vegas-style Hard Rock Casino with a 400-room hotel, conference center and five-star restaurant. Opponents cite concerns about traffic, crime, grime and what could amount to an earth-shaking transformation of the village and surrounding areas. midhudsonnews/News/2014/March/12/casino_Nepera-12Mar14.html
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 13:56:19 +0000
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