IF AQUEDUCT ENTERTAINMENT GROUP has its way, a passenger in an airplane making its final descent into J.F.K. might, through his oval window, spy an odd mix of the sinful (gambling and gluttony) and the pious (a green roof, a sustainable rainforest atrium, a LEED-certified casino and track). The proposal calls for a 300-room hotel, a community meeting hall, a 1,200-seat buffet and a 2,400-car garage. The complex would apparently be divided into seven sections, each representing a particular city neighborhood.
SL Green and Hard Rock would apparently erect a giant, fuchsia-colored replica of an electric guitar at the entrance to a Hard Rock bar; a complex of shops; a 425-seat buffet; and a food court. MGM and Peebles’ proposal calls for “delectable fine-dining restaurants,” a “sophisticated ultra-lounge,” a “luxurious 350-room hotel,” a meeting center and some kind of entertainment venue.
Neither Delaware North nor Penn Gaming would release details of their proposals, and Mohegan Sun’s point man couldn’t be reached for comment. For his part, Mr. Wynn has yet to release details, though one would hope his proposal would be outlandishly lavish, in a Vegas sort of way.
Queens Senator Joe Addabbo was succinct when describing the community’s preferences: “We have a unified opinion as to who we don’t want: Delaware North. Given the previous bidding process that went on late last year, Delaware was the one that never really reached out to the community, and we feel that its track record working with the governor’s office is not the best.”
After faulting a lack of transparency with the bidding, breeder Jack Knowlton, owner of 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide, urged legislators to “just get it done.”
“The breaking point’s coming not too far down the road,” Mr. Knowlton said. “I would hate to be here three years from now without VLTs.”
Mr. Knowlton was part of a Monday rally at the Capitol by the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, who would get $4 million to $5 million a year in revenue from any new development. To underscore their sense of urgency, they hand-delivered aluminum horseshoes to legislators’ offices, and brought a filly named Free and Brave.
Said Breeders executive director Jeffrey Cannizzo, “This is a decision we’ve been waiting on for eight years.”
drubinstein@observer.com
—With reporting by Jimmy Vielkind