The New York Racing Association plans to add 450 beds in three new dormitories in Racecourse Saratogaofficials told state regulators on September 1.
Construction on the first of 68 rooms will begin next year near the Oklahoma Train Road. Generally, two of the three new dormitories will be on the hotel’s training line.
Glen Kozak, NYRA senior vice president of operations and capital projects, told members of the New York State Franchise Oversight Board: “That’s the most used.
Officials said the dorms would cost $2 million per person. The third dormitory room will be located on the main road side of the property.
The announcement comes after the NYRA spent $37 million on backstretch housing improvements in Saratoga and Belmont Park since 2013. It also comes after Brian O’Dwyer, head of the New York State Game Commission, the governing body for horse races in the state, last month raised concerns about cramped housing situation after he toured Saratoga’s facilities.
Kozak told the Franchise Oversight Board, the NYRA’s financial and capital projects watchdog, that the racing consortium is working with Saratoga Springs historic preservation officials and its architect on program to build three new dormitories.
The facility, which begins construction next year, will be located next to the recreation center near the Oklahoma Training Road. According to NYRA officials, the train track is in use from April through mid-November, and so the need for new housing nearby is the NYRA’s primary goal.
NYRA officials also told the financial oversight board that their current revenue from all sources is up 2% year-over-year, albeit with less than six race days in 2022. Total revenue for 2022 stands at $1.75 billion. Average daily handling across NYRA races is up 6.7% so far in 2022 from a year ago. Much of that, as has been the case for many years, comes from bets made through untracked betting organizations.
