Point Place Casino has officially begun its $50 million expansion.
The Oneida Indian Nation broke ground on the major project this week, with local elected officials, community leaders, and other team members convening on the New York casino to commemorate the occasion.
“When we built Point Place Casino six years ago, we had a vision for what it could become as an entertainment destination and an economic engine for this community,” Ray Halbritter, Oneida Indian Nation representative and Turning Stone Enterprises CEO, said in a statement.
“As with everything we do, that vision was guided by the understanding that if you are not growing, you are going backward. That has been our motto across all of our enterprises and the reason we are so committed to constant diversification and growth.”
$50M investment helps create ‘total experience’ at Point Place
Since first opening the property in 2018, the Oneida Indian Nation has continuously invested in Point Place Casino. That includes two expansion projects on the main casino floor as well as the opening of the retail sportsbook.
This latest project, however, the tribe called “a major expansion” that will effectively double the size of the gaming floor while adding a new hotel, restaurant, and meeting areas.
Earlier this year, the Oneida said the investment arose in response to “incredible demand from Point Place Casino guests and the surge of growth occurring throughout Central New York.”
Assemblyman Brian Miller said that the groundbreaking “is not just about a new hotel, enlarging current spaces or renovations, but about expanding opportunities and investing in the future of Madison County and the surrounding region.”
Added Sen. Joseph Griffo:
“The Oneidas have been friends and partners since the Revolutionary War and when we work together, we can see success. The $50 million investment here at Point Place Casino will continue to build upon Turning Stone Enterprises and all of the good things the Nation has done to make this a point of destination and an attraction worthy of entertainment and excitement. It’s the total experience.”
Big plans in store for Point Place Casino
This groundbreaking has been a long time coming for the Oneida, which looks to build a multi-story hotel with 100 rooms.
Point Place will also see the development of a new Perfect Pour Café satellite location in the hotel’s lobby and an update to the Fireside Lounge that will double its current size while adding a 360-degree view of the wood-burning fireplace.
All told, according to the Oneida, the investment will create over 200 construction jobs while growing regional tourism and creating “new opportunities” for Turning Stone Enterprises employees.
“The Oneida Indian Nation has created many good things that have impacted this region that we all benefit from, from helping win American independence two-and-a-half centuries ago to the significant economic role it plays today in our county,” Madison County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jim Cunningham said in a statement.
“It has created so many good jobs in Central New York and we are so fortunate to have the Nation here.”
Greg Lancette, president of the Central-Northern New York Building & Construction Trades Council, said that the project represents “success built on success.” And that sentiment was shared by Terry Manning, chairman of the Bridgeport-Lakeport Civic Organization.
“They have created an economic engine that is driving our community forward, providing good jobs, and their support of our community is remarkable.”
