New Details On Turning Stone Casino Resort Expansion Plan
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On July 24, the Oneida Indian Nation officially revealed details of its $370 million capital investment in the biggest expansion and financial reinvestment in Turning Stone Resort Casino in the last 20 years, following the announcement of those plans in September 2022. Additionally, the reinvestment project will feature a full expansion of the casino-resort with a state-of-the-art conference center, hotel, outdoor event spaces and other state-of-the-art amenities to completely re-imagine Turning Stone.
The latest conference center:
The tribe will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the planned two-year project in early 2024. Together with a $370 million reinvestment, the planned expansion project will collect $616 million in one-time economic impact, generate 3,600 one-time jobs and accumulate $22.1 million in state and local tax income.
It will also double its existing conference space with latest outdoor and indoor event spaces involving:
- eight modern meeting rooms, many with outdoor terraces;
- two new ballrooms, including the 30,000 sq. ft. Grand Ballroom with a patio overlooking the Shenendoah Golf Course and The Lodge’s Great Lawn;
- an open courtyard with three new events spaces;
- a new indoor parking garage with 2,000 parking spaces and easy access to the conference center.
When finished, these new additions will make Turning Stone Upstate New York’s biggest convention center and one of only three venues of the same size and caliber in the state. Furthermore, together with its existing facilities and partnerships, the newest conference center will extend the resort’s and regional marketing reach across the Mid-Atlantic region and New England and into new industries, while luring bigger and more reputable events and organizations.
Construction of “The Crescent”:
To support the growing number of event and conference guests, the expansion will also involve the construction of “The Crescent”, the latest four-diamond hotel which includes:
- 258 rooms, involving two-bedroom suites and 23 spacious single rooms;
- a welcoming lobby featuring a fireplace with lounge seating, a VIP lounge and a quick-service cafe;
- Salt Seafood & Raw Bar with five private dining rooms with outdoor terraces.
However, the existing accommodation at Turning Stone will also be transformed as redevelopment continues at The Lodge to keep its Forbes Four Star prize-winning standards, and “The Hotel” will become “The Brook”, adopting a new name in homage to the region’s gorgeous waterways and it will offer a fresh, contemporary aesthetic throughout.
Additionally, during December 2023, The Lounge with Caesars Sportsbook will relocate to the newest nightlife destination at Turning Stone’s Exit 33, known as NY Rec & Social Club, previously known as Lava Nightclub, and this newest destination will provide guests with contemporary benefits that involve: plush seating, 60 high-definition screens, cozy “fan caves,” in addition to entertainment options that involve a pool, shuffleboard, foosball, arcade games and an outdoor terrace with comfortable seating, fire pits and blackjack.
New medical center addition:
The experience of Turning Stone and Nation team members will continue to thrive as the expansion project also includes the construction of a 5,000-square- foot on-site medical center. However, the build will be done in partnership with Rome Health and available to all team members, their families and resort guests. Among the benefits it will offer are emergency, primary, convenience and cardiology care with extended hours covering evenings, weekends and holidays.
Beside this aforementioned facilities, other additions are:
- golf practice area designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., with a short game area and driving range to back up the resort’s championship golf courses;
- over 120 electric vehicle chargers, involving 36 Tesla Superchargers, installed throughout the Nation lands in alliance with Tesla for guests and workers.
Oneida Nation Enterprises will officially become Turning Stone Enterprises as of October:
Oneida Nation Enterprises will become Turning Stone Enterprises effective October 1st. This new organizational identity recognizes Turning Stone’s significant role in putting the standard for each Oneida Indian Nation’s enterprise and the important contribution of each team member, regardless of where they work, in setting and maintaining this standard.
Since it was founded 30 years ago, Turning Stone main task was to be anengine for job creation and economic development in Upstate New York. Relatedly, an economic impact analysis by Oxford Economics reported that in 2022 alone “Turning Stone and the Oneida Indian Nation’s other enterprises generated a more than $1 billion economic impact within the region and annually supported more than 7,000 jobs, including the Nation’s 4,500 employees.” Moreover, the $370 million in financing for the Turning Stone’s expansion will also cause thousands of construction jobs and millions of dollars in income due to the resulting rise in guests and regional tourism that will follow.
Ray Halbritter, Oneida Indian Nation Representative and Oneida Nation Enterprises CEO, said: “The Turning Stone Evolution is much more than just an expansion. It is nothing less than a full evolution of the region’s premier destination and its role as an economic leader. Together, with our existing facilities and partnerships, the new conference center will make Turning Stone and Central New York an even more desirable destination for larger and more prestigious events.”
Settlement Agreement:
In addition to the aforementioned expansion and financial reinvestment, 2023 also represents the 10th anniversary of the historic settlement agreement between the New York State, Oneida Indian Nation and Oneida and Madison Counties. Since its acceptance, the agreement has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for local residents and helped blossom strong alliances between the Nation and regional governments and businesses. Therefore, these alliances were critical to the satisfaction of the Oneida Indian Nation and the region and will continue to be so for the next 30 years and beyond.
