During the excursion, the Tribe submitted an impact report on its proposed $600-million casino that is to be built on a 333-acre trace of land on County Route 161 off Route 17 in the town of Thompson in the Catskills region of New York State.
Officials representing the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians report that Tribal President Robert Chicks expects to file an application with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the next several days for approval of the venture. The Tribe has stated it hopes to break ground on the project by as early as this fall. Once filed, the project will be the second Indian gaming facility venture to seek regulatory approval with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Previously, a plan put forth by The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and Park Place Entertainment for a $500 million gaming facility at the Kutsher's hotel site in the Town of Thompson was filed with the bureau.
The impact report states that the casino would total approximately 150,000 sf of gaming space (including 3,000 slot machines and 190 table games) as well as 30,000 sf for multi-purpose/entertainment uses. The facility will also contain a number of restaurant, food court facilities, a bus transportation center, some miscellaneous retail, as well as a gasoline service station. A total of 8,480 parking spaces will be developed in both surface lots and structured parking.
The Tribe also detailed plans for a second phase of development that would consist of a 750-room, 15-story hotel that would also include a 1,020 parking structure.
In terms of its economic impact on the area, the report states, "It is expected that the casino will draw 5 million - 6 million annual patrons with 14,000 to 15,000 guests on a daily basis.... The project will result in 5,000 new jobs from direct casino employment in Phase 1, with 350 additional jobs created when the Phase 2 hotel opens. The development of the casino and related facilities will also produce approximately 1,500 to 2,000 full and part-time construction jobs."
While Sullivan County and Town of Thompson officials are pleased that the two ventures are moving forward, they recently were told that developer Cappelli Enterprises which had planned to redevelop the former Concord Hotel, has put the project on hold for the time being and is waiting to see if the two Indian casinos will move forward. In addition, reports from local officials indicate that Cappelli may also be holding discussions with one or more Indian Tribes to see if he could develop a gaming facility at the Concord site.
Cappelli officials would not comment on why it has stopped work at the Concord site.
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John Jordan
John Jordan is a veteran journalist with 36 years of print and digital media experience.
