Crews hoist final steel beam into place at del Lago Resort & Casino

TYRE, N.Y. — Construction crews on Friday placed the final steel beam into the skeleton of the upcoming del Lago Resort & Casino in Tyre in Seneca County.

The beam is part of the 40,000 square-foot entertainment venue that will hold 2,500 people.

Thomas C. Wilmot Sr. and Brent Stevens, the venue’s co-chairmen, called it a “topping-out” ceremony in a news release issued on Friday.

“This is another milestone in our effort to build upstate New York’s best resort and casino,” Wilmot said in the release. “We are very proud of the quality of work by these fine upstate union tradespeople, and the speed at which they continue to operate, keeping us on pace to open del Lago Resort & Casino in February 2017.”

Nearly 200 construction workers, who work for 20 local contractors and subcontractors, are working on the project, Wilmot added.

Wilmot is also chairman of Rochester–based Wilmorite, Inc., a commercial real-estate development, construction, and management company that owns Del Lago.

The term del Lago means “of the lake,” the company says.

Del Lago is “really starting to take shape,” Jeff Babinski, executive VP and general manager, said in the release.

“Within a week, the casino will have a weather-tight roof, allowing more intensive indoor work to begin there, even as other workers continue to pour concrete for the foundations of the hotel and spa, which are now about half completed. As the weather warms up, we’re going to see more and more construction and tradespeople at del Lago,” said Babinski.

The $440 million facility will include a 205-room hotel, spa, and casino, along with a banquet facility, several restaurants, lounges, and a 2,500-person entertainment center, according to the release.

Del Lago will create 1,800 construction jobs and 1,800 permanent jobs, and will generate more than $90 million annually for New York state and local governments.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com