- Turning Stone’s $380 million expansion and renovation will be finished next year
- The Oneida Nation is making a big bet on remaining a major convention destination in upstate New York
In the summer of 2023, Turning Stone Resort Casino announced its largest expansion in the property’s history. The $370 million project, initially slated for completion in 2027, will now open next year, officials with the tribe say.
Turning Stone opened as a bingo hall in July 1993. Over the decades, the upstate New York tribal casino has continually expanded into what is today among the largest gaming floors in the country.
Owned and operated by the Oneida Indian Nation, it was just a little more than two years ago that the tribe revealed a massive development billed as “The Next 30.”
The investment includes doubling the resort’s convention facilities with a 77K-square-foot addition. A 30K-square-foot ballroom will overlook the Shenendoah Golf Course and The Lodge’s Great Lawn. Other components include refreshing the hotel’s 825 guestrooms and constructing a new hotel tower with 258 rooms. A 1,600-space parking garage is also being built.
Turning Stone is located in Verona, roughly a 40-minute drive east of Syracuse. The casino features 2,000 slot machines, 66 live-dealer table games, one of the world’s largest bingo halls, and a sportsbook.
Project Ahead of Schedule
This week, Oneida Nation officials revealed that construction on the $370 million project has gone faster than anticipated.
The Turning Stone Evolution is a transformational investment in bringing new people to upstate New York and giving them reasons to return,” said Turning Stone Enterprises Chief Executive Officer Ray Halbritter. “Everything the Evolution is creating will allow us to compete with some of the top tourism and events markets in the country — destinations like New York City, Chicago, Orlando and more — and demonstrate what we have always known about upstate New York: that we have everything these destinations offer and more.”
Halbritter says the $370 million overhaul and expansion will now be ready in 2026. The new lodging, called The Crescent Hotel, will begin accommodating guests on June 29, 2026. The Grand Expo conference and center will follow on Labor Day.
Once the new meeting facilities open, Turning Stone will offer 200K square feet of event capabilities, making it “New York’s largest meetings and conventions resort.”
The Crescent Hotel will be home to Salt Seafood & Raw Bar, which the tribe is billing as the “pinnacle of dining at Turning Stone” and a dining experience that is “unparalleled throughout the region.”
Fending Off Competition
By the end of the year, New York is expected to greenlight as many as three downstate casinos. Only three bids remain for the three concessions, one in the Bronx and two in Queens.
The multibillion-dollar casino proposals include large-scale event spaces that will be designed to attract major conventions and exhibitions in the Northeast. The Oneida Nation is betting big on being able to continue attracting those substantial MICE happenings.
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