In his State of the State address today, Governor Andrew Cuomo will outline an ambitious plan to erect the country’s largest convention center near the Aqueduct racino in Queens, according to the New York Daily News. It is part of the governor’s new emphasis on legalizing casino gambling in the state in order to generate much-needed revenue.
Cuomo envisions a $700 million, 3.8 million-square-foot center that would render the Javits Center, on Manhattan’s west side, obsolete. The entire cost would be covered by Genting New York, the same firm that runs the popular racino that opened at the site in October, which would receive land from the Port Authorty of New York & New Jersey. Ultimately, the Javits Center would be torn down and replaced by another development, according to a source cited by the Daily News.
In July, with the support of a Queens economic development group, Genting had said it was interested in building a convention center at the site.
