JC / Railbird - Limping Into the New Year

Limping Into the New Year

It’s January 2 and Suffolk Downs, along with Massachusetts’ three other racetracks, is open today for simulcasting, thanks to a 90-day extension of existing simulcasting law that was passed by the state legislature only two days before the previous law was set to expire. To secure the bill, which had been held up throughout December because of a disagreement over expanding simulcasting, the House agreed to debate and vote on a slots bill that was passed by the Senate last fall in March. House speaker Sal DiMasi is already saying though that the expanded simulcasting dispute must be resolved before the slots issue can be taken up again. Expect more foot dragging on the matter as March draws near.
—
In New York, NYRA narrowly averted bankruptcy by accepting a $30 million bailout from the state. Alan at Left at the Gate has been following the story closely and has all the details of the deal.
—
Bay Meadows days are numbered:

Opponents of a plan to demolish the historic Bay Meadows racetrack to make way for homes, stores and offices failed to get enough valid signatures to place the issue before voters in the June election, San Mateo city officials said Wednesday.

The signature-gathering effort fell 136 names short of the 4,661 valid signatures needed to get the issue placed on the ballot. More than 1,100 of the 5,700 signatures that had been gathered on the petition were invalidated by the San Mateo County Registrar of Voters, which requires that signers be registered voters in the county.

Owners of the site said they plan to immediately move forward with the redevelopment project, which will convert the 83-acre racetrack into a community with 1,250 homes, 1.25 million square feet of office space, 15 acres of parkland, and 150,000 square feet of stores and restaurants.

Racetrack supporters say they’re not giving up. “We’re not finished yet,” said Linda Schinkel, founder of Friends of Bay Meadows.

Posted by JC in State Issues on 01/02/2006 @ 8:30 am / Follow @railbird on Twitter