Stakes were high as both supporters and critics of 16 separate construction proposals for upstate New York casinos congregated at the Grandview in Poughkeepsie Tuesday for a public hearing about the future developments.
The 12-hour hearing was held to shed light on the future of casinos in the Catskills and mid-Hudson Valley region, which has turned out to be the most attractive area for developers. Nine construction proposals—six in Orange County, two in Sullivan, and one in Ulster—are on the table for the Hudson Valley alone.
Near capacity crowd here for the NYS Gaming Facility Location Board public comment session in Poughkeepsie. #Gaming pic.twitter.com/r1aKPYLVgq
— Darryl Bautista (@DBatPoJo) September 23, 2014
“You probably know the casino carrot has been dangled in front of us for over 40 years,” said Sullivan County resident Tom Wasserman, who claimed that his county is in desperate need of an economical surge, reported the Poughkeepsie Journal. “We want them, we need them and we deserve them.” As only four out of the total 16 proposals are to be granted, residents and officials from all counties are expressing their particular need for a casino.
Newburgh Mayor Judy Kennedy, whose city has faced recent economic challenges, also supported the proposals, and said her city deserved the construction.
“There is no place else in this region that needs [a casino] like this city does,” she said, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal.
