Opponents and supporters of Nassau Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.’s plans for a video casino at Belmont Park held back-to-back rallies at the racetrack Saturday.
Supporters assembled outside Belmont’s Gate Five to kick off the day, citing the number of jobs that would be created to construct a 100,000-square-foot site at Belmont Park on “underused” land and to staff it when operations began.
“If it wasn’t the casino, and they wanted to build a Sonic here, they (opposers) would’ve said ‘can’t build it here, it’ll cause traffic,” said Patrick Nicolosi, president of the East End Civic Association.
“We’re construction workers…we like to build, and 6,000 jobs (would help eliminate) low-income housing, because people would have jobs,” said Ray Gogr, a local resident and 638 Steamfitters Union Member. Gogr was flanked by various other union members who were in ardent support of the casino.
OTB announced in December its plans to put a $75 million, 100,000-square-foot video casino at the Elmont racetrack. While it awaits state legislative approval, the agency plans to build a temporary gambling hall with 1,000 video lottery terminals, or VLTs, which requires approval from the state Office of General Services and the New York Racing Authority.
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano included $20 million in casino revenue in his 2016 budget. His office said last week the estimate was reduced to $15 million.
As the numbers of supporters gradually dwindled during the chilly morning hours, cheering from dozens of casino opponents could be heard in the distance.
Nicolosi was the last of the supporters to depart. “I’m in favor of the third rail, the tunnels that connect to either Westchester or Connecticut, we need to change Nassau County, our problem is the NIMBY people,” said Nicolosi, referring to proposed Long Island transportation projects.
Residents had marched in opposition from Floral Park Memorial High School at 210 Locust St. and down Plainfield Avenue and Hempstead Turnpike, chanting, “Please say no, no CasiNO.”
The crowd of protesters consisted of adults and children of all ages displaying signs with slogans such as “Belmont Say No to Mangano,” and “Think of our kids!”
Nassau OTB has previously weighed putting the casino at Nassau Coliseum, Jones Beach and a vacant Fortunoff jewelry store in Westbury. Intense community protests last year derailed he state-owned entity’s efforts to put it in Westbury.
Last January, the Village of Westbury, the towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead, local civic associations and Winthrop-University Hospital filed a joint lawsuit against the Nassau OTB in New York State Supreme Court in Mineola, under the basis that it would violate town laws, and create excessive traffic obstructions near the high-volume 130-year old hospital.
An OTB spokesman declined to comment on the rallies.
Valley Stream resident Milagros Viciente said gambling is a bad way to make up an economic deficit.
“We don’t want this, it’s not going to create sustainable jobs, it’s just gonna make things worse for our community … and we’re sick and tired of elected officials making decisions without community input,” she said.
“If it wasn’t good for Westbury, for the Coliseum, it’s not good for us,” she added. “I say stop the hypocrisy,”
State Assemblywoman Michaelle C. Solages, who sits on the Racing and Wagering Committee, was joined by Elmont community organizer Tammie Williams.
“They don’t have a realistic expectation of what the revenue is,” Solages said. “First it was $20 million, now it’s $15 million, and then it’ll be $10 million. They’re going to tip the balance, and the community will be the first to lose. Putting more strain on our community resources is not what they should be doing right now,” Solages said.
Mangano spokesman Brian Nevin said the county’s revenue projection reflects six months of casino revenue, based on OTB’s estimate that the casino would generate $30 million annually for the county.
The county budget also includes “other revenue contingencies” in case the Belmont casino isn’t approved, Nevin said.
