Albany

Rochester developer David Flaum unveiled his vision for an Albany casino to Common Council members on Friday and asked for a vote of support as he puts together key pieces of the $300 million to $400 million project.

Flaum outlined his plan to build a spacious gambling house and hotel with an indoor equestrian center and water park and a large horse racing betting parlor.

His presentation at City Hall featured an artist's rendering including attractions such as fountains rising from an existing pond that could be seen from the state Thruway just yards away from the project site.

Although the plan he described is incomplete, Flaum promised to hire local people, using union workers for construction and permanent employees, and to create a $2 million account for city leaders to use for things such as scholarships and social programs. Council members seemed impressed, although some raised concerns about problem gambling and traffic congestion.

"This is the site," he said when asked if he has other parcels under contract in the Capital Region besides the roughly 60 acres he has arranged to buy at Noonan Lane off Exit 23 of the Thruway.

Flaum said he considered Rensselaer County but wouldn't say if he has options elsewhere. Nor would he reveal if he is close to finding a casino company to run the 63,000- to 67,000-square-foot gambling hall he envisions for the property owned by the family of U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

"I don't know how to answer that question right now," he said. A gaming company with experience in running a casino will be critical to a bid for one of the four casino licenses the New York Gaming Commission is authorized to issue in three regions of upstate New York.

With lobbyist Justin McCarthy and Capital District Off-Track Betting Corp. President John Signor, Flaum described a project he said would beat any competitors for a casino license in the Capital Region.

Signor said his operation would take 20,000 square feet in the gambling house for an OTB parlor with a sports theme.

He said the addition of the OTB will broaden the field of municipalities that could benefit financially from the casino. Eight counties would get a piece of the state's revenues from the casino under state law. If Capitol OTB joined the project as a tenant, he said, any profits the betting corporation receives would be spread to the cities of Albany and Schenectady and 19 counties.

Signor said his board of directors unanimously approved the relationship with Flaum's project, even though some of the members represent government jurisdictions also hoping to build a casino, such as Schenectady, Montgomery County and Rensselaer County.

Flaum's team billed the Noonan Lane project, called "E23," as delivering $5 million in taxes a year to the city treasury and $11.4 million a year split between Albany County and the city from casino revenue sharing.

The $11.4 million, they said, is based on state Division of the Budget estimates and are actually less than what Flaum expects his project will produce.

Mayor Kathy Sheehan sounded ready to offer her support, saying that the revenues could come in handy for the financially struggling city. She called the development "an additional asset" for attracting business to the convention center planned for downtown.

"This is an opportunity to grow our tax base," she said.

McCarthy, who lobbies for Flaum and for Capital OTB and brought the parties together, said the hotel envisioned, for up to 350 rooms, could add to the city's ability to attract events such as the NCAA basketball tournament.

"I like what I hear, but what you don't hear is what you've got to be concerned with," said Common Council President Carolyn McLaughlin. "How do you say no to $10 million?"

Councilwoman Cathy Fahey sounded a note of alarm regarding the ills of gaming. "I have deep concerns," Fahey said.

Flaum said his project won't compete with existing cultural institutions and entertainment venues.

He said the project site is ideal because development would not disrupt neighbors. The land is owned by the Noonan family, including Gillibrand's mother, and is where the senator grew up.

The property is on the outskirts of Albany and is bordered by the Thruway and a cemetery and is close to the state Thruway Authority headquarters.

The council has set no time limit to decide on the project's merits and will hold a public hearing at an as yet undetermined date.

Flaum has also been trying to build a casino for the Seneca Indian Nation in Monroe County. His contract and work with the Seneca tribe was called into question by gaming competitors who asked the Joint Commission on Public Ethics to look into whether Flaum has been violating lobbying laws.

Also politically active, Flaum has been a generous donor to various campaigns and is a member of the Republicans for Cuomo team.

He and his family have donated more than $100,000 to Cuomo's campaigns, according to public records, and possibly more, based on his participation in recent Cuomo fundraisers.

jodato@timesunion.com • 518-454-5083 • @JamesMOdato