43
Successful ‘racino’ bidder is based in Pittsburgh
NEW CASTLE, Pa.
The embattled Valley View Downs “racino” project here still is alive, and Lawrence County is “still in the hunt,” according to Lawrence County Commissioner Dan Vogler.
His statement followed the announcement by Centaur LLC of Indianapolis, parent company of Valley View Downs, that American Harness Tracks LLC of Pittsburgh was declared the successful bidder Monday by the Delaware Bankruptcy Court for the proposed harness-racing track and casino.
It would be off U.S. Route 224 in Mahoning Township. The company, which bid $5.6 million, is headed by Atty. Charles Knoll Jr., son of the late Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll.
In a new development, Centaur announced that another bidder, Merit Management Group, a gaming-management company out of Chicago, has agreed to negotiate with American Harness Tracks for the next 45 days on “working together to build the project in Lawrence County.”
The reference to Lawrence County is significant because many local residents had earlier expressed concern that American Harness Tracks might try to move the project and the harness racing license to the Johnstown area, taking with it thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue.
Even more significant is the fact that Merit Management Group is headed by Joseph Canfora, who is a New Castle native with relatives still in the area and is regarded as being “very loyal to his hometown,” Vogler said.
Canfora said late Monday that he believes that with persistence, the project can succeed and noted he will be in Pittsburgh today to talk with American Harness Tracks officials.
He said that it was only in the last week that he was permitted to talk to representatives from the company because a prior agreement had prevented this.
He said that Merit Management initially submitted a separate bid for Valley View Downs.
But he said that after the Oct. 20 auction, he and another bidder, local developer Carmen Shick of Bedford Development, got together and have been working to keep the project alive.
Both Merit and Bedford had earlier filed objections to American Harness Tracks’ bid, but both objections were withdrawn Monday, Vogler said.
The next step toward making the project a reality is to transfer the Valley View Downs harness-racing license to the new owner.
American Harness Tracks LLC has until Dec. 31 to submit a preliminary application to the Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission for the transfer.
The Harness Racing Commission meets Thursday, as does the Pennsylvania Gaming Commission, which must award a casino license to the project before it could become a reality.
All three Lawrence County commissioners will be in Harrisburg for the meetings Thursday.