As officials of the Seneca Gaming Corporation broke ground on October 19th, 2009 on an $8 million expansion of its temporary downtown casino facility, Buffalo resident Henry Garrett said that he is just hoping that the casino will finish construction of the permanent $333 million Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino because it will really improve the economy of the city.
The expansion of the temporary casino facility will add 5,330 square feet of gambling space to the establishment at Michigan Avenue and Perry Street. The new area will accommodate between two hundred and two hundred fifty additional slot machines, increasing the number of slot machines.
Seneca Gaming Corporation Chairman Jeffrey L. Gill said that five new permanent jobs will be made in a casino facility that current employs about fifty casino staff. Construction on the permanent casino facility was suspended last summer because of the financial crisis and the collapse of the credit market. Seneca Gaming officials expressed cautious optimism that the permanent casino project will eventually continue.
Gill said that he believes that it is a question of when, not if. But Gill stressed that any final decision to proceed with the work on the permanent casino rest with Seneca Gaming’s seven-member board of directors. The board’s vice chairman, Robert E. Mele said that there is no specific time line for moving forward with the permanent casino project.
A gaming consultant has told Seneca officials that the exposed steel beams can last for six years before they would require any replacement. Much of the steel in the casino location was placed in 2008. Aside from that, a lengthy court battle over Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino continues on.
Some legal analysts have predicted that the court battle could continue for quite a while. The temporary casino facility has remained open as the court case is heard. Seneca officials said that the expansion is scheduled to be finished next spring.
Garrett, who lives only short distance from the facility and is a regular customer of the Seneca casino, believes that the expansion is timely since it can offer more games for customers.
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