BATAVIA — Another round of capital improvements at harness racing's Batavia Downs will start where many visits to facility do — the vast parking lot across Park Road.
Western OTB officials said they maintain ambitions for a grand porte-cochère entrance extending out from the Downs, over Park Road and into the parking lot.
But no state approval is needed for the repaving work approved Thursday by the gaming corporation’s board of directors, making it the first priority.
“We’re still going to move ahead with the lot, not knowing when the (other project’s approval) will be done, hopefully sometime this year,” said Western OTB Vice President Scott Kiedrowski “It’s paramount for a lot of our customers … it’s reached its age, it’s time for a major capital improvement.”
“We are definitely in most need of a parking lot — it’s bad,” said Western OTB Executive Vice President Mike Nolan later. “For safety and for everything.”
Keeler Construction of Albion was awarded the parking lot project contract, which will amount to no more than $508,128, according to the resolution.
Work is set to begin in May, with crews digging out problem spots and doing drainage repairs, before sealing a new layer over the entire lot in stages. Shuttles would run daily to aid customers forced to park farther from the gaming facility.
Genesee County Director Dick Siebert said his colleague, Orleans County Director Ed Morgan, has volunteered to serve as the board’s liaison during the project. Morgan, who was not present Thursday, is the Town of Murray highway superintendent.
“Ed certainly knows how to build roads,” Siebert joked.
The project would end with striping the lot to roughly the same number of spots — Nolan said there’s around 1,040 now — but without the outline of a planned bus loop that would be added if the state gaming authority approves a project adding the covered entrance-way, an expanded fine dining restaurant, and a new cigar bar.
Nolan said Thursday that the schedule to construct the shell of a new six-race paddock on the far end of the Downs’ harness racing track is behind the parking lot but scheduled to finish ahead of the 2017 racing season.
“The plans have been submitted,” Nolan said. “There’s no bid date, but our plan is to put it out to bid, receive them back and proceed (to board approval) in May. We’ll start construction in June and July.”
Live Racing General Manager Todd Haight said Thursday that the harness racing season will start July 26, with new regular post times of 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 1:15 p.m. for late season Sunday matinees.
There are 71 dates on the 2017 racing calendar.
Construction of the paddock by the 2018 racing season was part of an agreement with the Western New York Harness Horsemen’s Association, which has been down to a four-race paddock since construction began on the Hotel at Batavia Downs in 2015.
By JIM KRENCIK