CEO notes building footprint will extend north
-
Pictured here are two artist renderings of the proposed Grand Island Casino Resort and Hotel. The version above offers a view from the existing race track area, while the view below focuses on the casino look from north.
The Aurora Rotary Club welcomed Fonner Park CEO Chris Kotulak to an April meeting, where Kotulak provided a timely update on the happenings at the racetrack before updating the group on the status of the planned Grand Island Casino Resort & Hotel.
His presentation was complete with a full-color rendering of the project, which is set to break ground in the semi-near future.
“We did get LB876 passed by the legislature and that was to offer some restrictions on the racetrack licenses and casino licenses,” he began. “It wasn’t exactly as I wanted. I’m getting a good crash course in civics and I’m learning about the government and how that works. I didn’t have any expectation that the bill would be exactly the way I wanted it to be, but what I did want is the protection of horses, the protection of the Nebraska horse racing industry and the people who work in it, who have their livelihood in it, and then the protection of casinos -- in that order.”
In Kotulak’s view, there can’t be many casinos in the state.
“We have six racetracks now with licenses,” he noted. “Two are just as flimsy as can be as far as the product that they present for horse racing. The other two have taken liberties and not stepped forward and Fonner Park has certainly carried the mail of horse racing.”
However, he said, he believes those not presenting proper horse racing meets in a sufficient number of days will step up with the infusion of casino gaming money.
“Fonner Park is going to step up and offer more, because we believe we’ll have more,” he reported. “But we can’t do anything until the casinos are built.”
To read more, please see this week's print or e-edition.
