Developer to move ahead with complex

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A developer who wants to build a racetrack, casino, retail and residential complex near downtown said he intends to move forward with plans of some sort, even if the Pennsylvania Legislature doesn't approve slot machines.
Charles J. Betters made the announcement Monday, when he also said he would donate up to 250 acres of the nearly 650-acre site to the city as parkland after an environmental cleanup.
While Betters has previously said plans to develop a thoroughbred track on the site were contingent on legislation approving slot machines, he said Monday that development would take place regardless.
Under the $500 million track scenario, Betters would build about 2,000 residences, both single-family homes and rental units. He was unsure how many units would be built without a track.
Where it is
The site is the largest undeveloped parcel of land in the city and overlooks the Monongahela River. It had been mined for coal and suffers from acid mine drainage and underground mine fires.
Betters plans to re-mine the coal, which he said is the remediation method preferred by state and federal authorities. Betters was uncertain how much coal remains or what the cleanup could cost.
Betters has enlisted Churchill Downs of Kentucky as a partner in the venture. He is one of six developers looking to get the state's remaining thoroughbred racing license.