Lawrence County to get harness track license, slots, water park

The Shick family intends to develop the adjoining 300 acres, including hotels.

By LAURE CIOFFI

VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU

HILLSVILLE, Pa. — The talks started in July shortly after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered that two competing harness track builders get a second look from a state commission.

And Wednesday the culmination of those talks resulted in what some say could be the largest economic boon for Lawrence County in years.

The Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission awarded its last harness racing track license to Centaur Inc., an Indiana-based company, to be built on property along U.S. Route 422 in Mahoning Township, Lawrence County, just miles from the Ohio border.

Centaur originally had proposed building its racetrack and casino, called Valley View Downs, in Beaver County, Pa.

The land will be sold to Centaur by the Shick family of Lawrence County and their partners who had proposed to build their own track called Bedford Downs. The Shicks and their partners will get $75 million in the deal.

Centaur’s success in getting the harness license was a major hurdle, which now clears the way to a lucrative gaming license for slot machines. That license is almost assured to the winner of the last harness license.

“I think it was an excellent compromise. Both sides came together. We applaud them for coming together in the best interest of standardbred racing in Pennsylvania,” said Anton Leppler, executive director of the Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission.

Faced deadline

The applicants and the harness racing commission were under a July 2009 deadline where the last slots license designated for a harness track would become a stand-alone casino license if it had not been awarded to a track.

“That wasn’t going to happen under my watch,” Leppler said.

Leppler said the commission encouraged the compromise, noting that the matter had been in litigation for the last two years.

Carmen Shick, president of Bedford Downs, said the compromise was necessary.

“I think that if it wouldn’t have gone this way, there is a very good likelihood that no matter who won the license the appeals could have taken more than a year and the [gaming] license would have converted,” Shick said.

The Shick family will sell 250 acres of the 500-acre plot to Centaur.

Shick said he expects to start putting the development plans together for the rest of the acreage by the end of the week. His first project will be a water park.

“One of the big benefits is instead of taking 15 years to build everything it will take about four or five years,” he said.

Centaur, too, will start on its plans immediately, said Jeffrey M. Smith, chief operating officer of racing for Centaur.

Smith said they hope to secure the gaming license before the end of this year and start construction after that time. Smith said they hope to open the slots and racing facility in 2009 or earlier.

Centaur’s original plan in Beaver County called for a 5⁄8-mile track and a smaller facility — something the harness racing commission noted in its original rejection of that plan and location. Harness racing officials noted they liked Bedford’s plans for the track and buildings, but had problems with Shick’s financing and noted concerns about alleged ties Shick’s deceased grandfather may have had with Youngstown crime figures.

Both companies filed court appeals that eventually went to the state Supreme Court. That court ordered that both plans be reconsidered by the harness racing commission.

The compromise basically resolved all the issues brought out in the initial rejection of Valley View and Bedford Downs.

Seen as boon for county

Lawrence County officials are ecstatic about the news.

“It’s a great day for Lawrence County and all of western Pennsylvania. This facility will be a regional asset,” said state Rep. Chris Sainato of New Castle, D-9th.

Sainato, a member of the state House gaming oversight committee, said had the gaming license converted to a stand-alone slots facility it would have not been located in western Pennsylvania.

“This is the most positive economic news Lawrence County has had in years. The community does owe a debt of gratitude to Carmen Shick and his family for what he’s done. Without him this would not have happened,” Lawrence County Commissioner Dan Vogler said.

Commissioner Steve Craig echoed his sentiments.

“I’m elated,” Craig said. “I also feel good for the Shick family who worked so hard to bring this development to Lawrence County. They were out front with their good family name.”

The county stands to gain about $16.6 million annually from gaming taxes that are designated by the state to be used for local economic development projects.

Increases in property tax and wage taxes will also be a boon for the county, Mahoning Township and the Mohawk School District.

Mahoning Township Supervisor Poncho Exposito said his board will work the same way with Centaur as it did with the Shick family to get construction under way quickly.

“It’s a good thing for the region,” he said.

cioffi@vindy.com