Turning Stone announces $25 million expansion project

VERONA — Turning Stone Resort Casino will build a new $25 million multi-venue entertainment facility, slated to open in the summer of 2013, the Oneida Indian Nation announced today.

The project will create more than 300 new jobs in a mix of construction and permanent positions.

Named Exit 33, an homage to the Thruway exit travelers take to visit Turning Stone, the venue will feature four entertainment options — a country music dance hall, a rock and roll club, an ultra lounge, and a piano bar. Construction starts immediately with a planned July 2013 opening to coincide with Turning Stone’s 20th anniversary.

“I’m pleased to join our longstanding friends in organized labor in announcing this $25 million expansion at our Turning Stone Resort,” Oneida Nation Representative and Nation Enterprises CEO Ray Halbritter said in a news release. “The addition of a new state-of-the-art entertainment venue will create 300 new jobs for our region and promises to be unlike anything else in all of New York.”

Exit 33 will create more than 100 permanent jobs and provide more than 200 jobs to construction workers, building trades craftsmen, and suppliers during the building phase, according to the nation. The project is the largest at the resort since work started on Turning Stone Tower and The Lodge in 2004.

Turning Stone Resort Casino (www.turningstone.com) offers gaming, golf, entertainment, dining, and spa facilities. The resort draws more than 4 million visitors annually.

The nation employs 4,500 people across its businesses, including Turning Stone, 12 SavOn convenience stores and gas stations, a 175-site RV park, and three marinas on Oneida Lake. The nation also runs Indian Country Today, a national Native American media network, and Four Directions Productions, a 3D animation and cinematography studio.

Contact DeLore at tdelore@tmvbj.com