What the proposed Capital Region casinos could end up looking like
They range from sleek to rustic to whatever you call that certain unmistakably "casino" aesthetic.
Update August 8, 2014: The Amsterdam/Florida application has been rejected after the siting board determined the application incomplete.
The state Gaming Commission posted the (probably literal) tons of documents filed for the casino license applications last week. (And then unposted them. And then re-posted them.)
You could spend days going through the docs and no doubt there are people doing just that. We're hoping to dig through files for interesting bits. In the meantime, though, we thought it'd be interesting to get a sense of one thing: What would the proposed Capital Region casinos look like?
The design of the casinos isn't necessarily the most important thing about them, but they are in line to become a prominent architectural feature of whatever site ends up winning the license. And in some cases they could occupy prominent spots in the area (example: the proposed casino on the Rensselaer riverfront).
So, we pulled out renderings from all five Capital Region applications.
And here they are...
Renderings
They're above in large format -- click or scroll all the way up.
Not every rendering from each application is above. (Some applications included more detail than others.) We just pulled a handful of renderings from each project to get a sense of the overall look.
If you'd like to go through the applications yourself, looking for design details (or whatever), the designs are in section VIII.C.5 of each application.
What's next?
There will be oral presentations about the applications after Labor Day. The board responsible for picking the winning applications is scheduled to make its selections sometime this fall.
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Comments
Whats up with the Howes Caverns renderings showing a "Sports Book". I believe only NV casinos can have a sports book. Quite misleading.
... said Myles on Aug 4, 2014 at 1:24 PM | link
Very disappointed by the lack of thought that went into these designs. Where is the LEED certification?
Where is the solar? LED lighting? They didn't even make a minor effort to greenwash any part of these projects.
Thanks for the farmers market, but who is going to drive all the way to some crowded casino in the middle of nowhere to do their produce shopping?
I don’t think these planners, architects and engineers could be more out of touch or more outdated in their designs and thinking.
... said Jamie on Aug 4, 2014 at 1:58 PM | link
I think the most accurate architectural rendering would look something like this:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gm7KAZN_w1A/Ta4DETasg3I/AAAAAAAAFdw/SgIme7Hnn9A/s400/april%2B19%2Bcash%2Bregister%2B3.jpg
... said Bob on Aug 4, 2014 at 2:00 PM | link
What can one say? The parking areas - a lot of lots - are far more interesting than the proposed interstate highway interchange hotel architecture.
... said Newland on Aug 4, 2014 at 2:16 PM | link
The East Greenbush and Rensselaer casinos should be disqualified for their trite architecture.
... said Jeremy on Aug 4, 2014 at 2:50 PM | link
Can we have an All Over Albany casino rendering contest? We can all draw what we thing the finished project will actually look like.
... said Tim on Aug 4, 2014 at 3:00 PM | link
All these huge surface lots make me want to cry. For god's sake at least build garages. Underground, where possible.
... said ajw93 on Aug 4, 2014 at 3:10 PM | link
Boy, the ones in East Greenbush and Florida/Amsterdam stink. They already look like a failed item. Schenectady and Rensselaer look GREAT!
... said ace on Aug 4, 2014 at 3:14 PM | link
Most look like Super 8 motels with big parking lots.
... said Joe on Aug 4, 2014 at 3:59 PM | link
That's a whole lot of ugly.
... said Naomi on Aug 4, 2014 at 4:15 PM | link
Attention architects: This is what you should be aiming for:
http://pcparch.com/projects/sustainable-design
... said Cyril on Aug 4, 2014 at 4:45 PM | link
All this time I have been pulling for the Rensselaer location, but after viewing the plans I'm not so sure. While it definitely has the best location of the 5 proposals, and probably the best operating company as well; I am not a fan of the huge surface lots.
If this gets built, you can kiss the rest of deLaet's Landing goodbye. But then again, it's not like anything has happened there in 10 years anyway.
The East Greenbush and Amsterdam images are pathetic. The Schenectady one is kind of attractive, but I would have liked to see the hotel go a bit more vertical. The Howe Caverns one is kinda cool, but the location is terrible.
... said Kman on Aug 4, 2014 at 4:56 PM | link
I probably should take a look at the Amsterdam/Florida application since I live just a few towns away, but it's too damned depressing. It's a highly visible location that will simply suck more people out of the City of Amsterdam and encourage even more sprawl.
... said Ellen on Aug 4, 2014 at 5:39 PM | link
The Howe Caverns one bears an eerie resemblance to the Overlook Hotel from the Shining: http://www.theshining2.com/images/overlook2.jpg
... said Movie fan on Aug 4, 2014 at 10:42 PM | link
A cavalcade of horrors! (I like how Amsterdam plonked a big "Farmer's Market" sign in front of theirs!)
... said Jason on Aug 5, 2014 at 9:55 AM | link
I'm still lukewarm on the idea of casinos as economic engines but as a Schenectady resident it's encouraging to see the Rivers Casino planned in close conjunction with the Mohawk Harbor project (as opposed to the Hard Rock casino which seems entirely separate from the proposed DeLaet's Landing development). The developer says they're going ahead with the other elements of Mohawk Harbor regardless of whether a casino is involved and I hope that happens - that way if we don't get the casino - or we get it and it folds in a few years - the city is still getting some sort of much-needed economic redevelopment.
... said Frank on Aug 5, 2014 at 2:08 PM | link
They should've included artist renderings of the casinos 5-10 years after they open when they become abandoned lots with for sale signs on them after the market for casino gambling inevitably dries up in NY (like it did in Atlantic City recently).
... said abc on Aug 5, 2014 at 3:56 PM | link
In the casino floor rendering for the Rensselaer Hard Rock there appears to be a naked powerlifter Bart Simpson wall sconce on the first column on the left.
The East Greenbush and Amsterdam casinos are epicly vile looking. The former seems inspired by the Bone & Joint Center on Washington Ave.
... said Just a Guy on Aug 5, 2014 at 5:12 PM | link
Some of these are supposed to be destinations?!!! I'd say the only ones with a fighting chance left are Schenectady, Rensselaer because of their central locations and Howe Caverns due to their layout.
There's nothing else to do out in Amsterdam as far as entertainment venues are concerned and the East Greenbush one will be across from a Wal-Mart. The areas for the parking lots take up more space than the actual casino. It's a total waste of land for something people will lose interest in within a couple of years. What's with the Farmer's Market and Farm to Table Gardens? The blueprints are missing some silos on them.
... said Bella Gio on Aug 7, 2014 at 12:19 AM | link
There appears to be no marina or even a dock for the Rensselaer site, but there will be a CDTA bus stop. I guess the market research shows that people with yachts won't be gambling, but people who ride CDTA will. Bravo!
And, you've got to love the Dutch Colonial-inspired architecture of the East Greenbush casino. It pretty much looks like a Holiday Inn attached to a mall. I had no idea that the Holiday Inn and the Crossgates Mall were also inspired by the Dutch. I guess you learn something new all the time.
Anyway, I'm really excited about giving casino lowlifes the opportunity to break into my car when I'm at the Regal Cinema in East Greenbush. Will they break my windows or try to slim jim my door? The anticipation will be so exciting. Opportunity and excitement galore!
... said Phil on Aug 8, 2014 at 9:48 AM | link