NY Daily News excerpt -
ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo wants to up the ante on the future of the Aqueduct racino in Queens and make it home to the country’s largest convention center, the Daily News has learned.
The planned project will be highlighted as part of the economic development agenda Cuomo will outline in his State of the State address Wednesday, two sources told The News.
“The notion is that (Cuomo) is going to put the project on the fast-track to get it done,” one source said. “They need a couple of big economic development initiatives to announce.”
The convention center plan dovetails with what is expected to be another key part of the governor’s speech: legalizing casino gambling to create new revenue for the state. Cuomo previously told The News he would be open to putting a casino in a less-populated part of the city, like at Aqueduct in South Ozone Park.
The convention center the governor has in mind — at a whopping 3.8 million square feet and located near the city’s two major airports — could spell the demise of the oft-maligned Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan, which has long been criticized for being too small a venue for a world-class city.
“It’s a great opportunity for alternative development if we didn’t need the Javits Center,” said another source. “Javits is a lousy location that can be torn down and replaced.”
The convention center’s $700-million price tag would be covered by Genting New York, the Malaysian-based casino company that runs the popular virtual casino that opened at Aqueduct late last year, that source said. The state and Port Authorityof New York and New Jersey would transfer to Genting’s control land adjacent to Aqueduct that would be needed, the source added.
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