SALAMANCA, N.Y. – Members of the Seneca Nation Tribal Council
and representatives from Seneca Gaming Corp. helped officially
break ground for the construction of a new 220-room resort hotel
Saturday at the Seneca Allegany Casino here.
“Today marks an important milestone for Seneca Allegany Casino,”
Seneca Nation treasurer Maurice John said. “This new hotel will
expand the possibilities of what Seneca Allegany Casino can become
and enhance the world-class atmosphere that our patrons already
enjoy when they visit us.”
At 11 stories tall, the new Seneca Allegany Casino and Hotel
will be the tallest structure in the City of Salamanca. The project
will cost approximately $140 million, which will be invested into
the region by the Seneca Nation of Indians in addition to the $118
million that was invested to establish the existing casino and
parking facility.
The hotel project will switch the Seneca Allegany Casino gaming
floor from the current site, which was established as a temporary
casino, into the new hotel. Future plans for the current casino
space include a large-scale event center.
“We’re here today to celebrate the next step in the casino’s
growth,” Brian Hansberry, chief operating officer of Seneca
Allegany Casino, said Saturday. “We continue to add excitement each
and every day.”
The new casino will include 64,500-square-feet of world-class
gaming with more than 2,100 slot machines, 40 table games and a
high-limit area.
The hotel is set to include a spa, pool and fitness center. Also
included in the hotel’s plans are a new steakhouse, an Italian
restaurant and a 24-hour caf_ to work alongside the existing
Thunder Mountain Buffet.
“It has a distinctive look to it,” Hansberry said of the resort
hotel design. “It really is a pretty design.”
Seneca Gaming Corp. officials noted the hotel will create about
450 new jobs in the area, adding to the 850 workers currently
employed at the casino. The project will also put hundreds of union
construction laborers on the job.
“The Seneca Nation has worked diligently to create a vibrant new
industry to benefit the Seneca people and the economy of Western
New York,” John said. “By continuing to invest in Seneca Allegany
Casino, as well as in Seneca Niagara Casino, we are paving the way
to attract new visitors, create more jobs, and enhance the benefits
we generate for the local area. We are extremely proud of our role
as one of the leading employers in Western New York.”
President and CEO of the Seneca Gaming Corp. John Pasqualoni,
who was scheduled to speak at the ceremony, could not attend.
Instead, Joseph D’Amato, senior vice president of the Seneca Gaming
Corp., spoke in his place.
“We want more people to discover and enjoy our jewel in the
hills of Salamanca,” D’Amato said.
The new Seneca Allegany Casino and Hotel Phase I completion is
scheduled with a partial opening in October 2006.
Phillip Thompson opened the groundbreaking ceremony with a
special blessing given in his native tongue.
Martin Seneca Jr., secretary of the Seneca Gaming Corp. board of
directors, got the crowd laughing when he told a story about how
railroad ties are 48.5 inches apart because that’s how far apart
the ruts left by Roman chariots in England were – the space needed
for the horses to work.
“What’s that have to do with anything? Well, the reason is some
horse’s ass determined what we’re going to do out here today,”
Seneca said on the cold afternoon.
Seneca said it was going too far when a sign above the urinal in
the casino bathroom read, “the future of the Seneca Nation is in
your hands.”
“This is part of the development as an economic activity to the
Nation,” Seneca said.
He said the casino was a means to improve the health, education
and welfare of the Seneca Nation. He said the economy generated
from the new hotel resort would hopefully provide the Nation with
housing and better educational facilities.
“We have sovereign rights as a nation,” Seneca said. “We need to
achieve what I like to call economic sovereignty for us to
proceed.”
“For generations, we strive to preserve the land,” John said
about the Seneca Nation’s home in Salamanca.
“This is where we are,” Seneca said.
Council members and board members took their ceremonial shovels
for the groundbreaking event, concluding the ceremony.
Following the ceremony, a luncheon was served.
Since opening its doors on May 1, 2004, the casino has attracted
more than 2 million visitors and generated more than $12 million in
revenue for New York state in its first eight months of operation,
more than $1 million of which was returned to the local
economy.
“We’ve come a long way since opening 18 months ago,” D’Amato
said. “I’m confident that patrons will be extremely pleased at this
time next year.”
John mentioned that very shortly in the future, the Seneca
Gaming Corp. will also be adding a casino in Buffalo.
