SULLIVAN — The Oneida Nation had studied the Bridgeport area in the town of Sullivan in Madison County and believes the newly opened Point Place Casino “will serve this particular area really quite well.” That’s according to Ray Halbritter, Oneida Indian Nation representative and Nation Enterprises CEO. “We really looked for a long-term investment when […]
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SULLIVAN — The Oneida Nation had studied the Bridgeport area in the town of Sullivan in Madison County and believes the newly opened Point Place Casino “will serve this particular area really quite well.”
That’s according to Ray Halbritter, Oneida Indian Nation representative and Nation Enterprises CEO.
“We really looked for a long-term investment when we thought about building here,” says Halbritter.
Halbritter spoke with CNYBJ after the Oneida Nation formally opened the $40 million Point Place Casino on March 1.
Point Place Casino, located at 450 Route 31 in the Bridgeport area of Sullivan, is the latest Oneida Nation venture in Central New York.
It operates the Turning Stone Casino Resort in Verona and the Yellow Brick Road Casino in Chittenango. It also runs the Tin Woodman’s Flask, a 17,000-square-foot wine and spirits store in Chittenango near the Yellow Brick Road Casino, which opened last November.
The Oneida Nation also owns Maple Leaf Market, a convenience store in Sherrill. It plans to open a Maple Leaf Market on Route 5 in Chittenango and additional locations in 2018 as well.
When asked if spreading its business footprint is part of the Oneida Nation’s plan for growth, Halbritter replied, “This is our homeland.”
“We’re not like a company that will come in and be here for a while, sell out, and go someplace else. This is our homeland. We’re not going anywhere. That’s one of the differences between the Oneida Nation and any other business. We are here for the long term. We think in terms of the long term, and we invest in our community,” says Halbritter.
About Point Place Casino
The doors of Point Place Casino on March 1 opened to a rush of patrons at 10 a.m., the first in a line of people waiting outside for the casino to open its doors.
The 65,000-square-foot facility is located near the corner of Bridgeport-Kirkville Road, just a few hundred feet from the border with the town of Cicero.
In his remarks at the ceremony, Halbritter called it a “very exciting day.”
“Point Place Casino will provide residents in Cicero, Clay, Fulton, Syracuse, Bridgeport, and people throughout the region and beyond a new destination for food, entertainment, and fun,” said Halbritter.
Point Place Casino derives its name from “its picturesque location, surrounded by a number of the area’s beloved lake points,” according to the casino’s website.
The casino has created more than 200 full- and part-time jobs that focus on gaming, food and beverage, maintenance, security, and management. The project also produced 250 construction jobs.
Syracuse–based Hayner Hoyt Corp. helped build the casino, according to Ed Allmann, VP of enterprise marketing and sales at Oneida Nation Enterprises.
Hayner Hoyt worked in partnership with the Central-Northern New York Building & Construction Trades Council (CNNYBTC) on the project, Pat Costello, the council’s area representative, noted in his comments.
CNNYBTC represents about 5,000 construction workers and 17 member unions, according to its website.
The new smoke-free Point Place Casino will include a gaming floor with nearly 500 slot machines and 20 table games. It has two, fast-casual, counter-service restaurants, including the newest location of Wicked Good Pizza, the pizza shop that originated at the Oneida Nation’s Yellow Brick Road Casino in Chittenango and Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona.
Point Place Casino also includes Burgers of Madison County, a restaurant offering burgers and milkshakes. The venue has two bars, the Fireside Lounge and Paddle Bar. It is also introducing a second location of Opals Confectionary, a chocolatier and bakery, which also operates at Turning Stone.
