During the morning of Tuesday, September 6, Tioga Downs kicked off the construction of a hotel with a groundbreaking ceremony. Owner Jeff Gural and other community leaders turned the dirt on the site where the hotel will soon stand.

The ceremony marked the beginning of the next major phase of construction to prepare for the growth associated with the transition to full casino gaming. The State of New York granted the final license to Tioga Downs last month.

The hotel itself will feature 161 guest rooms and will span a total of six floors. Guests may use any of three swimming areas — an indoor pool, an outdoor pool and a water slide. A spa centre and fitness facility are also included in the plans for construction. The new hotel will accommodate special events in its entertainment center. Banquets and receptions can seat up to 400 guests.

Tioga Downs has had an extremely busy summer, as it recently opened the first finished section of the new gaming area added, as well as Virgil’s Real BBQ, which is off to a great start in its first month of operation. Just last week, Tioga Downs was formally granted a commercial gaming license by the New York State Gaming Commission to operate a full-fledged casino at the property.

This year marks the tenth anniversary celebration for Tioga Downs, the entertainment complex that offers live harness racing, video lottery terminals, video poker and electronic table games. A variety of eateries are also part of the racino. Jeff Gural owns Tioga Downs in Nichols, NY and Vernon Downs in Vernon, NY. With a commercial gaming license now officially granted, Tioga Downs will push forward on its complete transformation into a world-class gaming and entertainment complex.

(Tioga Downs)