VERONA, N.Y. — Turning Stone Resort Casino will get a new gaming floor, six new restaurants, and new guest rooms in its Tower hotel.
It’s part of a $20 million investment that the Oneida Nation announced Monday, describing it as “one of the most extensive upgrade projects of the resort in its 23-year history.”
The investment includes a “brand new” gaming floor with “both smoke-free and smoker-friendly facilities with improved air quality and state-of-the-art air-filtration systems,” according to its news release.
Plans also call for the addition of six new fast-casual restaurants in an “all-new Food Hall” and new guest rooms in the Tower hotel.
“Turning Stone is one of the leading tourist destinations in the region: we are deeply committed to world-class service and being responsive to our guests … and then matching that commitment with guest-driven investments. This new project reflects that legacy … it shows our dedication to offering superior amenities and consistently evolving and elevating the guest experience at Turning Stone,” Ray Halbritter, Oneida Nation Representative and Nation Enterprises CEO, contended in the news release.
The work on Turning Stone’s new gaming floor and construction of the new “Food Hall” has created 75 jobs for local trade workers, the Oneida Nation said.
Project details
The investment includes an “extensive” $8 million, “floor-by-floor” remodel of the 285 Tower hotel rooms.
Workers have already completed work on 80 rooms, and the Oneida Nation expects to complete the entire project by the summer of 2018, according to its release.
Syracuse–based Zausmer Frisch Scruton & Aggarwal handled the design work on the remodeling effort.
Besides the hotel-room work, Turning Stone on Nov. 16 will “reveal” the new gaming floor with the grand opening of Casino Blu, “a new casino concept within the existing gaming floor” at Turning Stone.
In addition, Turning Stone will open the new restaurants in late December. They include Bun Heaven; the Funky Chicken; Sam’s Delicatessen; Bad Burro Taco Shop; Hong Kong Kitchen; and Wicked Good Pizza.
For this “culinary” project, Turning Stone has partnered with La Jolla, California–based SixteenFifty Creative Intelligence, the same group behind the design of Turning Stone’s existing eateries, including TS Steakhouse, Upstate Tavern, Tin Rooster, and Pino Bianco.
Turning Stone next Monday will host a “Food Hall” job fair to hire for more than 80 full- and part-time culinary and restaurant positions, including several supervisory positions. Interested candidates can pre-register online and walk-ins are also welcome.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com