BATAVIA — The six-race paddock once planned for the far end of Batavia Downs’ harness racing track may not have come to fruition. However, Western Regional Off-Track Betting (WROTB) says both it and the Western New York Harness Horsemen’s Association are happy with the new race paddock being added this summer to go with the one that’s already there.
The new paddock will go where another structure currently sits. That structure will be moved to another spot nearby. The outdoor paddock project is expected to cost around $600,000, WROTB President and Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek said in February.
“It’s a two-race paddock,” said project Clerk of the Works Tom Balk. “They can put 16 horses in there. If a second race is going to start, those horses are waiting to go out on the track. They have them in those barns, waiting to go out on the track.”
Construction of a six-race paddock by the 2018 racing season was part of an agreement with the Horsemen’s Association. WROTB, the Horsemen’s Association and the State Gaming Commission are all on board with the plans for the new paddock and that there are no concerns about having enough paddock space when the project is done.
“We had meetings with the Western New York Horsemen’s Association and their director, Bruce Tubin … for our approval and the Western New York Horsemen and Gaming Commission approval. We’re all good with the drawings,” Nolan said Friday. “There’s no concerns by the association whatsoever. It wasn’t something we drew up and threw at them. They sat in on meetings.
“Essentially, we’re making a new paddock barn on the Park Road side. We all feel very good about that for moving forward,” he said. “I can’t get final Gaming approval until I get the proper building permits from the city, who we’ve been working with for the last month. (The city is) very good to work with, by the way. The city has been helpful throughout the whole process.”
WROTB Vice President of Operations Scott Kiedrowski said, “We’ve reached an accord that works for everybody. It’s a really good project and a great asset for the company and also great for the City of Batavia.”
Nolan said the estimate on the larger paddock building WROTB once planned to build was $1.8 million.
“It’s just nicer to keep everything on this side of the property rather than the other side of the track,” he said.
Nolan said the Town of Batavia has also looked at project plans. Aside from the new race paddock building, a drivers’ lounge will be renovated, with a new roof and new doors to be put on the front end of it.
“We’re making use of some of the historical buildings by renovating them. They’re not certified historical buildings. They’re sentimental from the company’s history,” he said.
Nolan said WROTB would like to be done with the paddock project by the third week of July.
“We’d like to see some of the stuff go out to bid on Monday,” he said.
By Brian Quinn