The latest design for the proposed Rivers Casino in Schenectady. Where to they get those customers? As for the latest design for the proposed Rivers Casino in Schenectady, let me say right off the bat that in my humble opinion a casino of any design is a lousy idea not only for Schenectady but for any city. I mean the idea that economic development is somehow going to flow from a lot of mesmerized citizens gloomily pouring their money down a rat-hole — please.
But that aside, what interested me about the latest design is really what interests me about most architects’ renderings, and that is the people. Look at them. Look how trim they are. Look how well dressed, the men in dark suits, the women in skirts and heels. All of them looking like they just stepped out of a Fifth Avenue shop window. I would say to the project developers, if you can guarantee us a crowd like this, I don’t care how you design your casino. Make it look like a mausoleum if you want.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
And all this time I thought Strock was either trying to rescue dogs in Mexico or trying to get his 'innocent' terrorist buddies that tried to buy a AA missile out of prison.
"Approval ratings go up and down for various reasons... An example is the high post 911 support for GWB even though he could be said to be responsible for the event." --- Box A Rox '9/11 Truther'
Melania is a bimbo... she is there to look at, not to listen to. --- Box A Rox and his 'War on Women'
I suppose it would be too much to expect a so-called journalist to actually do some research before shooting off a stupid commentary. It is commonly known that architects, when preparing renderings of what a proposed building will look like, use stock artwork of people to "drop in" to their pictures. Strock never added much to the intelligent discussion of issues when he worked for the Daily Gazette and, apparently, isn't doing any better at the Times Union.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
I had no idea SACC.TV has been doing these shows nor any of the shows I found on their site. Thanks for posting this video informative it opened up a whole new awareness of the City I love.
Rush pledges plenty of positions for locals By Haley Viccaro July 12, 2015
The City of downtown Pittsburgh can be seen at right, with The Rivers Casino to the left as seen from Mount Troy. Enlarge photos | View thumbnails At Rush Street Gaming’s Pittsburgh casino, city residents fill 57 percent of the 1,700 jobs.
That 57 percent, the company says, reflects its commitment to giving hiring priority to local residents.
The company, which has won the rights to build a casino in Schenectady, has also pledged to give local residents here hiring priority.
Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy said he would like that percentage of local hires to be 100 percent, but added he is also looking to help provide job opportunities for people throughout the Capital Region.
“We have a relationship with Amsterdam and Gloversville to do recruitment throughout the Capital District and work with Schenectady County Community College to get people into the program to fill the skillset.”
McCarthy said the area has an advantage in providing more qualified job applicants thanks to SCCC’s casino and gaming management program. The two-year program had its first graduates in May.
“I’m looking for people who already live here to have jobs, and then for people who are hired to have the opportunity to look at homeownership opportunities,” he said. “Rush Street has indicated that they want to be a full partner in the community.”
The average salary for nonmanagement workers at Rush Street’s casinos, including tips and benefits, is around $50,000, with a median salary of about $42,000, according to the operator.
Rush Street is planning to build the Rivers Casino and Resort at Mohawk Harbor off Erie Boulevard along the Mohawk River in Schenectady. The $330 million project is expected to create 1,200 permanent jobs.
Andre Barnabei, vice president of human resources at the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, said previous experience or training in the gaming industry is not required to land a job with Rush Street.
“When we opened, we hired around 1,000 people,” he said. “About 75 or 100 of them worked in a casino before. About half of them were never even in a casino before.”
The approximately 500 people who were never in a casino before are from the city of Pittsburgh, Barnabei said. All 1,000 of Rivers Casino’s initial employees earned certificates from Rush Street’s own training program.
The dealer school, which teaches people how to be table-game dealers, is free and runs for about 12 weeks, four hours a day. Prospective table-game dealers are required to earn a certificate to work at a casino under rules in the state of Pennsylvania. Similar requirements will be in effect in New York.
From there, graduates have to apply for a dealer position at the casino. If they are accepted, they then receive on-the-job training, which is required of all employees.
“They pay for it, which is nice,” said Renee Minella, a table-game dealer at Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino. “If you go to a community college you pay about $2,000 to get your license. You get trained for free, but you have to work here. It’s not a bad deal.”
The casino is in discussions with the Community College of Allegheny County to develop a gaming program similar to the casino program at SCCC.
Schenectady’s casino program was formed two years ago under former president Quintin Bullock’s leadership. Bullock is now, coincidentally, president of Allegheny’s community college.
“We want to bring in new dealers, and those are great jobs,” said Rush Street CEO Greg Carlin. “The college [SCCC] currently has a gaming program and we plan to leverage that.”
Of the Pittsburgh casino’s 1,700 employees, 34 percent are table-game dealers, 5 percent work with slot machines, 29 percent are employed in food and beverage service, 22 percent handle operations of the casino and 10 percent are administrators.
UNITE HERE
Yet there is some discontent in the Pittsburgh casino workforce, with some employees seeking to unionize to get better benefits and working conditions.
Unite HERE, a New York City-based union representing 100,000 casino workers nationwide and in Canada, is pushing to allow workers at Rush Street’s three casinos in Pennsylvania and Illinois to join its union.
During New York’s casino selection process, Unite HERE representatives spoke out against Rush, complaining about hours being cut back, limited sick days and poor health benefits.
“Casino management at Pittsburgh has made things worse,” said Unite HERE research analyst Jon Scolnik. “Hours and time off there is a very punitive attendance policy that winds up being a double standard. Someone had a family member who died abruptly, left work early and was paid for the day but got a point on their record for that. They also have sick leave, but you can only take two days at a time.”
Rush Street has been hit with nearly 100 complaints — many filed by Unite HERE — to the National Labor Relations Board since April 2013. The union says the company is blocking workers at its three casinos in Pennsylvania and Illinois from unionizing.
“At all three of their casinos, they have refused to agree to any fair process to resolve the labor dispute,” Scolnik said. “The Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh has not fulfilled its promise of good jobs at the casino.”
Scolnik said the union has about 500 employee signatures — hourly workers, not including managerial staff — in favor of organizing a union.
The union is calling for Rush Street’s “New York deal” at the operator’s three casinos in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Des Plaines, Illinois. Scolnik says the union wants the same labor provisions Rush has agreed to for the Schenectady casino.
For the Rivers Casino in Schenectady, Rush Street reached a preliminary agreement with the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council and a memorandum of understanding with the Greater Capital Region Building and Construction Trades.
What those provisions are isn’t clear. Both Rush and the trades groups have refused to release details of the agreements.
The 2013 New York law that allowed casinos required operators to reach labor agreements.
dailygazette.com
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I have a question related to the construction of this casino. I was taught that either side of a river the land is consider flood plains. With the casino construction they have removed that. Is there a possibility that the areas before this new buildup will now have more of a chance to flood since the river has effectively been narrowed? Just curious.
I have a question related to the construction of this casino. I was taught that either side of a river the land is consider flood plains. With the casino construction they have removed that. Is there a possibility that the areas before this new buildup will now have more of a chance to flood since the river has effectively been narrowed? Just curious.
good question cel.....the issue of flooding hasn't been 'clearly' addressed. not to most folks anyway.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Galesi must have redesigned the building in case the casino doesn't work out. He designed the space so it is easier to lease to another tenant in the future. The casino will end up being the SCCC Rivers campus in 10 years.
EXACTLY! Walmart by the river. All the insider's are saying ten year run at best. Small regional gaming center that will bring in no one in from outside the Capital Region. Half the size of the other new NYS casinos. But impoverished, overtaxed, DEM machine ruined Schenectady needed something. Besides Quirky. Meanwhile Empire City in Yonkers is 40% below revenue projections.
That’s the link to the state Committee on Open Government website.
On the site can be found copies of the state's Open Meetings Law and Freedom of Information Law, as well as advisory opinions from the head of the committee, Robert Freeman, and a lot of other helpful information detailing the obligation of New York’s governments to be transparent to the citizens they serve.
If you happen to have the email addresses of any members of Schenectady’s Planning Commission, please send them this link. It’s clear they need a refresher on the law.
In the latest round of absurdity regarding the approvals for the design of the new Rush casino in Schenectady, the city Planning Commission once again declared itself and its actions exempt from any of the state laws regarding open government.
You’ll remember last month, the commission met secretly with developers and architects in small groups — furtively skirting quorums required to trigger a public meeting — in order to expedite the reviews and approvals for the project.
Now, here we are, nearing the end of the local approval process, and the Planning Commission is still operating in the shadows when it comes to perhaps the most controversial part of the project design — the giant 80-foot-tall “pylon” that developers plan to erect along Erie Boulevard to light the way to the casino.
The “pylon” was approved as part of the overall casino site plan, but final approval is contingent on casino operators making changes to the colors and materials of the sign.
This tower will be among the tallest buildings in Schenectady and will be lit up with a 36-foot-tall electronic billboard that will be shining 24-7-365.
Yet the Planning Commission still thinks the public doesn't need to witness their deliberations on this aspect of the project.
First, City Planner Christine Primiano said the sign would be discussed by a subcommittee that would meet without notifying the public and without allowing the public to attend — both blatant violations of the state’s Open Meetings Law. (See link to website, above.)
Then when it appeared that idea wasn’t going to fly, we were told by the city’s attorney that the commissioners wouldn't actually meet about the sign at all. Apparently, they’ll just get copies of the updated versions. Somehow, perhaps by ouija board or Magic 8-Ball or mental telepathy or, perhaps, email or secret meeting, they'll do what they’ve done all along with this project — get out their rubber stamp and mark it “Approved.”
Somehow, like with the last set of not-quite-meetings, they’ll avoid the Open Meetings Law in spirit, if not in practice, and achieve their goal without exacting a peep of public opposition.
This cloak-and-dagger baloney might save a lot of time and inconvenience for the commission members. And it certainly helps the developer by moving the project along.
But it’s not the way our government is designed to operate — in full view of the citizens. If they're going to approve this thing, the public should at least be able to witness the deliberations and hear their justifications first-hand.
These shenanigans are getting way out of control. And if the public doesn't demand they stop, the commission will just keep doing it. And the sad thing is, you'll never even know it.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Logged
EXACTLY! Walmart by the river. All the insider's are saying ten year run at best. Small regional gaming center that will bring in no one in from outside the Capital Region. Half the size of the other new NYS casinos. But impoverished, overtaxed, DEM machine ruined Schenectady needed something. Besides Quirky. Meanwhile Empire City in Yonkers is 
