Here we go again. Shades of the blimp factory, brewery, and Avanti, the Mahoning Valley has always had a penchant for pie in the sky projects. Never mind that the area is actually one of the economic bright spots in Ohio right now as a result of thirty years of local hard work nurturing small business and General Motors…we be gettin’ a $400 hundred million resort casino and race track. And we are off!!
Apparently all the local politicos were caught with their pants down last week when the Mahoning Valley Development Group out of Cleveland announced out of nowhere that it is planning to build the multi million facility somewhere in the Mahoning Valley on 700 acres of land, including a 400 room five star resort hotel, a racetrack, a casino, a shopping mall, a teen entertainment complex, and a partridge in a pear tree; AND, they were going to do it all with private money...no government assistance or tax abatements are needed, thank you very much. WOW!!!! One small problem…they don't have a racing license, or any other license for that matter. And it was reported that Ohio hasn’t issued a racing license in over fifty years, and doesn’t even have a procedure to do it.
I wonder if they are going to build it next to the Indian Casino announced by Jim Traficant after a meeting with several Indian chiefs at the Yankee Kitchen in Boardman last year, complete with head gear. I almost wet my pants. Only trouble is they have to be declared a tribe first, then show the land in North Jackson was their land. Of course, while the Mahoning Valley was a meeting spot for numerous Native American tribes, it really never had any local resident tribes. But don’t confuse me with the facts. We're talking black jack, baby.
Meanwhile, the Youngstown Business Journal, searching for the why’s and wherefores of the new development, reported that the Mahoning Valley Development Group was forced to go public with their plans prematurely because Penn National, a gaming outfit that owns a racetrack in Toledo and Columbus, was planning on closing the Toledo operation and moving it to the Mahoning Valley. Only problem is someone forgot to tell Penn National.
Here’s the deal. If you remember, the State of Ohio had an election a year or so ago whereby four casinos were approved by the electorate to be located in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo. The Youngstown area was not included much to our chagrin, in the mix. But the owners of racetracks were still demanding video slot machines at racetracks, and Governor Strickland decided he could allow them by fiat under through the Ohio Lottery Commission. That was booted out by the courts, and further legal action is still pending. No one knows where Governor Kasich stands on the issue…nobody can find him.
The Penn National group is planning on partnering in casino developments in Toledo and Columbus. If video slot machines are ultimately allowed in racetracks, it may have to move one or more of the existing racetracks to an area of a state where there isn’t a full blown casino to keep from cannibalizing itself, and maybe the Mahoning Valley may be considered. Studies are being done, but that is a whole lot of “ifs”.
Nowhere have I seen in the discussion that Mountaineer is just forty minutes away from here, and the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh is just about an hour away. And I have to tell you, watching the local politicians scramble to figure out what was going on with this one was a real day brightner. Talk about getting caught with your pants down...it was hysterical!!!! Where are they going to put the casino? Bend over and I'll show ya.
Apparently all the local politicos were caught with their pants down last week when the Mahoning Valley Development Group out of Cleveland announced out of nowhere that it is planning to build the multi million facility somewhere in the Mahoning Valley on 700 acres of land, including a 400 room five star resort hotel, a racetrack, a casino, a shopping mall, a teen entertainment complex, and a partridge in a pear tree; AND, they were going to do it all with private money...no government assistance or tax abatements are needed, thank you very much. WOW!!!! One small problem…they don't have a racing license, or any other license for that matter. And it was reported that Ohio hasn’t issued a racing license in over fifty years, and doesn’t even have a procedure to do it.
I wonder if they are going to build it next to the Indian Casino announced by Jim Traficant after a meeting with several Indian chiefs at the Yankee Kitchen in Boardman last year, complete with head gear. I almost wet my pants. Only trouble is they have to be declared a tribe first, then show the land in North Jackson was their land. Of course, while the Mahoning Valley was a meeting spot for numerous Native American tribes, it really never had any local resident tribes. But don’t confuse me with the facts. We're talking black jack, baby.
Meanwhile, the Youngstown Business Journal, searching for the why’s and wherefores of the new development, reported that the Mahoning Valley Development Group was forced to go public with their plans prematurely because Penn National, a gaming outfit that owns a racetrack in Toledo and Columbus, was planning on closing the Toledo operation and moving it to the Mahoning Valley. Only problem is someone forgot to tell Penn National.
Here’s the deal. If you remember, the State of Ohio had an election a year or so ago whereby four casinos were approved by the electorate to be located in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo. The Youngstown area was not included much to our chagrin, in the mix. But the owners of racetracks were still demanding video slot machines at racetracks, and Governor Strickland decided he could allow them by fiat under through the Ohio Lottery Commission. That was booted out by the courts, and further legal action is still pending. No one knows where Governor Kasich stands on the issue…nobody can find him.
The Penn National group is planning on partnering in casino developments in Toledo and Columbus. If video slot machines are ultimately allowed in racetracks, it may have to move one or more of the existing racetracks to an area of a state where there isn’t a full blown casino to keep from cannibalizing itself, and maybe the Mahoning Valley may be considered. Studies are being done, but that is a whole lot of “ifs”.
Nowhere have I seen in the discussion that Mountaineer is just forty minutes away from here, and the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh is just about an hour away. And I have to tell you, watching the local politicians scramble to figure out what was going on with this one was a real day brightner. Talk about getting caught with your pants down...it was hysterical!!!! Where are they going to put the casino? Bend over and I'll show ya.
Seriously, I wish both of these organizations well. Any development for this area is a plus, and quite frankly, I think this a great location for such a venture. There may be something to all of this as there has been an exceptional amount of option activity in North Jackson and around the Youngstown Airport. Something may be afoot!!!
But while we are waiting for hell to freeze over, there is always Connie’s White Owl!!!!! Which way to the blimp factory?
But while we are waiting for hell to freeze over, there is always Connie’s White Owl!!!!! Which way to the blimp factory?
1 comment:
Mark: I don't know who you are but this article should be on the front page of the "V". "...casino,hotel, mall and partridge in a pear tree..." is absolutely hilarious. "We're talking black jack, baby" "Someone forgot to tell Penn National" and 'While we're waiting for hell to freeze over" literally made me laugh til I hurt.
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