FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 14, 2016
Media Contacts: Phil Pantano Pantano & Associates Phone: 716-601-4128 E-mail: phil@pantanoPR.com
WORK BEGINS ON $40 MILLION EXPANSION PROJECT AT SENECA BUFFALO CREEK CASINO Completion targeted for Spring 2017 BUFFALO, N.Y. – The air may have turned cold, but one of Buffalo’s most exciting development projects is heating up. This morning, leaders from the Seneca Nation of Indians and Seneca Gaming Corporation began paving the way for the next great development at Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in the Inner Harbor area of downtown Buffalo. A gathering of elected officials, representatives from the construction and business communities and others joined the Seneca Gaming Corporation board of directors and executives this morning for the official groundbreaking on a $40 million expansion of the casino. Work on the project, which was announced late last year, is expected to start this month with a target completion date of Spring 2017. “The economic turnaround of Buffalo is something that many people didn’t think would happen, but look around – it’s happening,” said Seneca Nation President Maurice A. John, Sr. “The Seneca Nation is an important part of that movement, and this $40 million investment is more evidence that the Seneca Nation and the City of Buffalo are both on the rise.” Plans call for a two-story expansion of the existing casino, adding approximately 28,500 square feet of space on each of two levels. The ground floor will add more than 300
additional slot machines and additional table games, including a high limit room and expanded non-smoking area, and a performance stage for live entertainment at Stixx Sports Bar. It will also include additional retail space, and an expansion of the popular Buffalo Savors Grill. The second floor of the expansion will introduce a new Western Door concept restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, as well as banquet and meeting space. As important as the physical additions, the expansion will create approximately 300 new jobs at Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino, bringing the property’s total work force to over 800. In addition to the casino jobs, the project will also create an estimated 440 construction jobs. “This project is more than an investment for our guests,” noted Barry E. Snyder, Sr., chairman of the Seneca Gaming Corporation board of directors. “It is an investment in the people of Buffalo and Western New York.” When Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino opened in 2007, there was little in the way of development in and around the Inner Harbor area. Since then, the surrounding area has exploded with tourism, entertainment and hospitality, and residential projects, including Canalside, HarborCenter, the Fairmont Creamery, and the recently announced expansion of the neighboring Lofts at Elk Terminal. Today, Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino attracts approximately 3 million guests each year to downtown Buffalo. “Creating good-paying and career-supporting jobs is a top priority of my administration and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino’s $40 million expansion project is another indication of the strength of Buffalo’s prospering economy,” said City of Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, noting the casino’s plan to create 300 additional casino jobs and 440 construction jobs as a result of this project. “With a relentless focus on economic development and job growth, Buffalo’s landscape is changing before our eyes. I thank Seneca Nation President Maurice John, Sr. and Seneca officials for their investment in the Inner Harbor area of downtown Buffalo as we continue to work together to build a city of opportunity for all people in Buffalo.” The expansion will be physically built on the west side of the existing casino, stretching toward South Park Avenue. The project is being designed by the Hnedak Bobo Group, which designed the permanent casino complex, and Seneca Construction Management Corporation will act as the construction manager.
This latest investment builds on Seneca Gaming Corporation’s impressive history of economic development and job creation in Buffalo and across Western New York. The original Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino underwent two expansions before the new $130 million casino opened in August 2013. Starting with Seneca Niagara Casino in 2002, the company has invested more than $1 billion to construct its gaming and entertainment properties in Niagara Falls, Salamanca, and Buffalo. Seneca Gaming Corporation ranks as one of the region’s largest employers, with approximately 4,000 employees. “Downtown Buffalo, and the Inner Harbor area in particular, is exploding with excitement and activity,” said Audrey Oswell, chief operating officer, Seneca Gaming Corporation. “As more people come to know this new Buffalo, Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino will be part of what they experience and remember.” About Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino is the latest attraction in the rapidly developing Cobblestone District along Buffalo, N.Y.’s Inner Harbor and is located just minutes from the Peace Bridge to Fort Erie, Canada, and a half-hour from Niagara Falls. The property is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. Guests can enjoy more than 800 slot machines and 20 table games, BC Café, Stixx Sports Bar, and Buffalo Savors Grill, with foods directly from some of the region’s most popular restaurants. More information is available by calling 1-8778-SENECA (1-877-873-6322) or visiting www.SenecaCasinos.com. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, download our mobile app and view us on YouTube. ###