Westchester & Fairfield Cheat Sheet: MGM bets big on Empire City Casino, Yonkers Raceway … & more

<em>Clockwise from top left: The Yonkers Raceway, the Stamford Harbor Marina (credit: John), The Elephant Hotel (credit: Daniel Case), and Main Street and Huguenot Street in New Rochelle (credit: DanTD).</em>
Clockwise from top left: The Yonkers Raceway, the Stamford Harbor Marina (credit: John), The Elephant Hotel (credit: Daniel Case), and Main Street and Huguenot Street in New Rochelle (credit: DanTD).

MGM Resorts drops $850 million on Empire City Casino, Yonkers Raceway
Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts purchased Empire City Casino and Yonkers Raceway from its longtime owners for $850 million. The Rooney family announced in November that they were planning to either sell or partner up with another company after 46 years of ownership, LoHud reported. The deal, announced Tuesday, comes as MGM works to increase its footprint in the Northeast. Empire City president and CEO Tim Rooney said the company sought out an owner who could “develop [the property] into one of the world’s greatest entertainment destinations.” [LoHud]

450 jobs coming to Stamford thanks to pair of new entertainment tenants
ITV America and Wheelhouse Entertainment are bringing parts of their businesses to Stamford, the Fairfield County Business Journal reported. British broadcaster ITV’s U.S. arm will move “a significant portion of its business operations” into 860 Canal St. in Stamford. Wheelhouse, which was recently launched by former ITV America CEO Brent Montgomery, will be moving some of its operations into the same building. The moves are expected to create around 450 new jobs, according to Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy. [FBJ]

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66 condos heading to the Town of Somers
Westchester-based builder Boniello Development plans to construct 66 condominium units at 307 Route 100 in the Town of Somers, according to the Real Estate Finance Bureau. Somers Crossing Condominium will be located across from The Elephant Hotel. Floor plans on the site show an array of two- and three-bedroom models. The plan’s price tag currently stands at around $58.4 million, the Real Estate Finance Bureau filing shows. [REFB]

Lawsuit won’t stymie plans for self-storage facility in New Rochelle, developer says
A developer with plans to build a self-storage facility in New Rochelle said the project won’t be hindered by a lawsuit filed against its affiliate this past spring. BlackMountain Partners filed plans in March to replace an industrial building at 2 Birch St. with a 1,182-unit self-storage facility, the Westchester County Business Journal reports. But a week after getting city planning board approval at the end of April, the industrial building’s seller said it planned to sue the BlackMountain affiliate that bought the building for BlackMountain over unspecified “goods and merchandise.” BlackMountain’s director of acquisitions, however, said the company “[doesn’t] expect it to hold up development.” [WBJ]

Equinox gym slated to open on Fairfield and Westport border this week
Equinox is opening a new fitness center on the border between Fairfield and Westport. The exercise chain demolished the former Southport Athletic Club building at 233 Old Post Road to build a three-story gym that overlooks Long Island Sound, the Connecticut Post reported. An Equinox showroom is already up and running at the site, and the fitness center itself will open on Friday. [CTPost]