Oneida Nation details $370M expansion of Turning Stone Resort Casino in upstate New York

The Oneidas are using the terms “The Next 30″ and “Evolution” to describe the project. The goal is to make Turning Stone one of the largest resort convention centers in the state, said Ray Halbritter, the Oneida Indian Nation Representative and CEO of the nation’s business enterprises.

“The Turning Stone evolution will help us put an even greater spotlight on our region by expanding our reach to new industries and throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and New England while ensuring we remain able to support all of our guests with the same standard of service for which Turning Stone has been recognized by leading travel industry authorities,” Halbritter said.

The Oneidas first announced the expansion of the resort just off State Thruway Exit 33 last fall. It is focused on convention and conference capabilities, which are currently operating at nearly full capacity. This expansion does not include any additions to the gaming operations at the full-service casino.

The expansion should allow Turning Stone to accommodate larger events, including those known as “full property takeovers,” according to Joel Barkin, the nation’s vice president for communications.

Turning Stone now has a total of 825 guest rooms, but can’t compete for events that need a guaranteed 500 or so rooms per night, Barkin said. The new hotel will add add 258 rooms. The current conference center space also limits the number and size of events Turning Stone can book.

“With the new hotel and the new conference facility, we’ll be able to go after events that need 700+ rooms a night, which puts us in play for much larger regional and national events,” Barkin said in an email to syracuse.com.

As part of the expansion, the Oneidas will rebrand their overall business operations from Oneida Nation Enterprises to Turning Stone Enterprises, building on the name recognition of the flagship casino resort. It will continue to include all Oneida-owned businesses, from casinos, to gas stations and convenience stores and more.

The timing for such a project appears to be good, said Steve Carvell, a finance professor at Cornell University’s Nolan School of Hotel Administration. The post-Covid convention and event business across the nation “is starting to percolate,” he said, although the strength of the surge depends on location.

For Upstate New York, the Oneidas’ investment “is a pretty big deal,” Carvell said. “It might be nothing compared to Vegas, but it sounds like they’re committed to attracting the business they can get in this market.”

The two-year construction period is expected to to create 3,600 jobs, generate $616 million in economic impact and provide $22.1 million in state and local taxes.

All the additions will be located on Turning Stone’s existing 1,600-acre campus. Highlights include:

● Conference center. Conference and meeting space will double with a 77,000-square-foot addition. That includes eight new meeting rooms, including one with a terrace overlooking the Shenendoah Golf Course. There will also be two ballrooms, including a 30,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom and an outdoor courtyard with event spaces.

● Parking. A new indoor parking garage will add with 2,000 spaces with “easy drop-off and entry access.”

● Lodging. The new hotel, called The Crescent will have 258 rooms on 10 floors, including king and double-queen guest rooms and 23 one- and two-bedroom suites. It will also feature A lobby fireplace with lounge seating, a quick-service cafe and a VIP Lounge. The hotel’s seventh floor will host Salt Seafood & Raw Bar, a new fine-dining restaurant with five private dining rooms featuring outdoor patios. The existing Turning Stone Hotel will be rebranded as The Brook, with modern makeovers to the rooms.

● Nightlife. By December 2023, the Turning Stone sports betting parlor, The Lounge with Caesars Sportsbook, will relocate into space formerly occupied by Lava Nightclub. The space will also host NY Rec & Social Club, with more than 60 high-definition screens, fan caves, arcade games, foosball, pool, shuffleboard and an outdoor patio with fire pits.

A separate feature of the expansion is the building of a new 5,000-square-foot health center, operated in partnership with Rome Health. It will be available for use by employees, their family and Turning Stone guests.

The Oneida Indian Nation has about 1,000 enrolled members and nearly 4,500 employees.