Developers of a proposed East Greenbush casino — now officially called the Capital View Casino & Resort — have reached labor agreements with the Hotel Trades Council and Building & Construction Trades Council.
The agreements would help to ensure a smooth construction period and on-time opening of the proposed casino, according to a news release issued Tuesday on behalf of Saratoga Casino and Raceway and Churchill Downs of Kentucky.
The project includes a 100,000-square-foot casino with a 150-room hotel, 20,000 square feet of retail space, restaurants and parking garages. Lakes and ponds with herb and vegetable gardens will also surround the gaming facility.
“With this agreement with Capital View Casino & Resort, we’ll see hundreds if not thousands more jobs in the region that pay prevailing wages with benefits — the kind of jobs that support families,” said Jeff Stark, president of the Greater Capital Region Building and Construction Trades Council. “These jobs are exactly what the Capital Region needs.”
The region’s Building and Construction Trades Council includes 17 local trade unions representing 22,000 members, while the state Hotel Trades Council represents 25,000 hospitality and gaming employees in New York and New Jersey.
If awarded a license by the state, the casino on Thompson Hill is expected to create a total of 1,700 construction jobs and permanent jobs.
Last week, the East Greenbush Town Board unanimously approved a resolution of support for a casino in the town, but during the meeting, a majority of speakers opposed the proposal, citing the potential for increased traffic and crime.
Saratoga Casino and Raceway and Churchill Downs face competition from other operators pushing for proposed projects in Montgomery County, the city of Rensselaer, downtown Schenectady and Schoharie County.
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