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Extension sought for racetrack/casino license
By Mary Grzebieniak
NEW CASTLE, Pa.
Indianapolis-based Centaur Inc. announced Wednesday that it has asked the Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission for an extension of the harness- racing license granted to its proposed Valley View Downs racetrack/casino in Mahoning Township.
Since Valley View Downs has not yet begun operations, the harness-racing license will expire in September.
Lawrence County Commissioner Dan Vogler said he was encouraged to hear the news. He said he is pleased that Centaur has decided to request the extension, noting that officials from the company met with the commissioners three weeks ago and said they were exploring several options. At that time they asked commissioners for a letter of support for the extension, which commissioners provided.
Vogler, who was in Harrisburg Wednesday preparing to attend a Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board meeting today, said all three commissioners are planning to attend the next Harness Racing Commission meeting at 11 a.m. Friday in Washington County. He did not know whether the commission will consider Centaur’s request at this meeting. If they do not, it could consider the matter at its regular meeting in August or schedule a special meeting, he said.
Vogler noted that the commission now has only two members, which means both would have to approve the extension request. The third member recently resigned.
State Sen. John Wozniak of Johnstown recently introduced a bill in the Legislature to convert the Category I license Centaur is applying for to a stand-alone license and award it somewhere else in the state, but Vogler thinks there is little chance the measure will pass.
Centaur is the parent company of the proposed $425 million Valley View Downs facility off U.S. Route 422. The project has been stalled since 2008 waiting for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to rule on Valley View Downs’ application for a Category I license to operate 3,000 slot machines. In the interim, Centaur has lost financing for the project, and both Valley View Downs and Centaur have filed for bankruptcy. But Centaur officials say they remain fully committed to the project.