Nichols, N.Y. – On Tuesday, Sept. 6, dignitaries gathered with Tioga Downs’ owner Jeff Gural for a groundbreaking that marks the beginning of construction of a new hotel at the Nichols, N.Y. location. With 161 guest rooms that will span six floors, this latest build is the next phase of construction as Tioga Downs readies to transition to full casino gaming.
Last month, Tioga Downs received a nod from New York State’s Gaming Commission to receive a full gaming license. As part of the application submitted initially to the Gaming Facility Location Board, a hotel build was included as part of the expansion proposal.
Pictured, on the left, Tioga Downs’ owner Jeff Gural is all smiles as he presents a check for $100,530.00 to Ben Margolis, vice president of the Southern Tier Veterans Support Group. The funds donated were from the Grand Funk Railroad concert held in August, funds that were matched by Gural.
On Tuesday, Gural was all smiles as construction equipment graced the landscape at Tioga Downs, and at the location where the hotel will be built.
According to Scott Freeman, president and general manager at Tioga Downs, the hotel is expected to open in the fall of 2017, and will feature 161 rooms, trackside views, a 2,000-square foot spa to be operated by Ageless Spas, and three pools – one indoor, one outdoor, and one that will have a water slide. Other expansion projects include a clubhouse build at the Tioga Country Club in Nichols, N.Y. and an additional restaurant, P.J. Clarke’s.
Pictured is a rendering of the expansion, upon its completion.
Freeman also emphasized the job opportunities that come with the expansion at Tioga Downs, and noted they are currently looking to hire a director of hotels and an event center director. The event center is included in the hotel construction, and will accommodate gatherings of 400 upon completion.
Martha Sauerbrey, chair of the Tioga County Legislature, also talked about the jobs that will be created at Tioga Downs, stating that the expansion will bring 150 to 200 new jobs to the community.
“There is also additional tax revenue anticipated from the hotel,” stated Sauerbrey.
Fireworks are ignited over the track following the groundbreaking ceremony for the hotel build at Tioga Downs on Tuesday.
In Gural’s proposal to the gaming commission, he pledged a capital investment of $122.6 million in the Nichols, N.Y. facility for expansion to a 32,000 square foot casino that will include the hotel and event center, 1,000 slot machines, 50 table games and a poker room. Gural’s capital investment is up to $134 million, and according to Sauerbrey, that number has probably gone up already.
LPCiminelli will be the contractor for the project. Kyle Tuttle, from LPCiminelli, addressed guests as well on Tuesday, stating that he is from the Southern Tier and has a great team of local people working with him.
Gural, just prior to officially breaking ground, thanked three people – the governor of New York, the late Senator Tom Libous, and his mother.
“I’m glad he [Governor Andrew Cuomo] ignored my words when I didn’t get the license the first time around,” said Gural, with a chuckle.
Workers from LPCiminelli, the prime contractor, attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the hotel build at Tioga Downs on Tuesday.
He attributed the former New York State Senator Tom Libous with working tirelessly by his side to make gaining a full casino license a reality.
“Every step of the way, Tom was here for us,” said Gural. Libous lost his battle with cancer in May of this year.
Gural also spoke of his mother being the inspiration behind his initial build of Tioga Downs in the Southern Tier Region.
His mother, Harriet Feil, was from Binghamton; and when Gural learned about the empty track in Nichols, N.Y., he decided to build something.
“My mother would get a kick out of it if I could do something for the community,” Gural added.
And Gural continues to do things for the community, which was affirmed by New York State Sentator Fred Akshar, who spoke of Gural’s philanthropic efforts.
First and foremost, at the beginning of the groundbreaking ceremony, Gural presented Ben Margolis, vice president of the Southern Tier Veterans Support Group (STVSG) with a check for $100,530.00 to support efforts in assisting veterans in seven counties – five in the southern tier and two in the northern tier of Pennsylvania.
The funds donated were from the Grand Funk Railroad concert held in August, funds that were matched by Gural.
Margolis, upon receipt of the funds, stated that it would allow them to do more for veterans.
Following brief words from the dignitaries in attendance and Gural, 20 shovels turned the dirt to officially break ground. As a surprise, fireworks were ignited over the track, and behind the location of the new hotel and event center.
For more information on Tioga Downs, please visit www.tiogadowns.com.
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