The developer of the Aqueduct racino in South Ozone Park, Queens is considering building a convention center to rival the Javits Center, too. According to the Post, gaming company Genting New York, which operates Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct, has proposed building on the land surrounding the racino once the first facility is complete. (The project is slated to wrap up this year.) The limited space in Javits, which is undergoing renovations and just added a new wing with another 80,000 square feet of exhibition space last year, has long been the source of complaints from the business and tourism industries. [more]

After months of speculation, the three remaining Off-Track Betting parlors in New York City closed yesterday, leaving doubt over the future of gambling in the boroughs, including up-and-coming institutions like the Aqueduct race track in Ozone Park, Queens. A one-time draw for a cultish following of retirees and gambling enthusiasts, OTB’s demise left a void in the city for many, according to the New York Times. Now, the New York Racing Association is shuttling former OTB fans to South Ozone Park, where gamblers can enjoy Aqueduct race track. [more]

New York State Senate Democrats are riled over possible subpoenas from the state Inspector General’s office in relation to the recent Aqueduct racetrack contract controversy. John Sampson, the senate conference leader, said that the inspector has no jurisdiction over the legislature and shouldn’t be allowed to access to private documents related to the selection of the Aqueduct Entertainment Group for the racetrack contract selection last month. The Inspector General’s probe follows massive public outcry over the contract award to AEG and accusations of impropriety on the part of local lawmakers.

The Aqueduct Entertainment Group won’t be running slots in Ozone Park anytime soon. State officials have barred the group from receiving its gaming license, following weeks of corruption rumors surrounding Governor David Paterson’s selection of the group for the racetrack and gambling development contract. After the decision came down, Paterson’s office released a statement saying it would back down from its decision. “The Division of the Lottery has concluded that it cannot issue a gaming license to Aqueduct Entertainment Group. Therefore, the State has officially withdrawn its support for AEG to develop and operate a video lottery terminal facility at Aqueduct Race Track,” Paterson’s office said.

Marc Holliday, the CEO of real estate investment trust SL Green, which, with 23 million square feet under its belt, is one of the largest commercial office building landlords in Manhattan, sat down with the New York Times to discuss his predictions for the Manhattan office sector and his group’s bid for the aqueduct race track project. Holliday said that SL Green hasn’t seen its occupancy levels drop much from the company’s 2005-2006 peak, and that many of its tenants are beginning to rebound. “We’re starting to see signs of improvement in our tenants’ businesses: they’re beginning to hire again; they’re making more money; they seem to be more optimistic,” Holliday said. As for the long-awaited decision on the winning bidder for the Aqueduct race track project, Holliday isn’t holding his breath for an announcement any time soon. “The state has indicated that a selection will be made shortly, but I think the evidence is such that that’s been the case for many months now, so you really can’t point to [an announcement] date,” Holliday said.

The fight to win the bid for the Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, just lost one contender. Las Vegas casino tycoon Steve Wynn has dropped out of the race, with no clear motive. With just two weeks to go before Governor David Paterson, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and State Democratic conference leader John Sampson are expected to announce a winning developer for the project, Penn National Gaming and SL Green are now named as the two top contenders for the job, Crain’s reported. Only last week Paterson notified bidders that they would need to provide proof that they are able to pay $200 million to the state upfront. Although Wynn Resorts had endured a brutal third quarter, Wynn’s bid of $300 million had been the highest of all the project teams.

Governor Paterson is expected to make a decision on the Aqueduct race track soon

Governor David Paterson met today with key decision makers close to the proposed Aqueduct race track to discuss the four top-ranking applicants to develop the project. Paterson had asked the New York Racing Authority and the New York State Lottery to whittle the list of six applicants down based on any structural defects in their proposals for the Ozone Park facility. Paterson, Assembly member Sheldon Silver and the state senate president are expected to jointly choose a winner in the coming weeks. Although any information on the frontrunners has been kept quiet, four developers are generally assumed to be favorites: SL Green Realty, Las Vegas casino tycoon Steve Wynn, Aqueduct Entertainment Group and Aqueduct Gaming. [Crain's]

The New York Daily News looks at the proposals, released yesterday, from two of the seven companies vying to redesign the Aqueduct race track. Aqueduct Entertainment Group has proposed a “racino,” which would have seven sections, each modeled on a different New York City neighborhood. The plan calls for 650 video slot machines in each section and a theme restaurant. All of the slot machines could be operational by November 2010. SL Green drafted a plan, in partnership with Hard Rock, that calls for a buffet and food court with 2,000 slot machines that could be running in six to eight months. MGM, Delaware North, Steve Wynn, Mohegan Sun and Penn National Gaming are also in the running to develop the race track. [more]