Work progresses on $370M Turning Stone Evolution project

VERONA — The Oneida Indian Nation’s $370 million Turning Stone Evolution project is forging full-steam ahead, on target to open in 2027. The effort includes the new 258-bed Crescent Hotel; a new conference center that doubles the resort’s existing conference space with eight new meeting rooms, two new ballrooms, an outdoor courtyard and three outdoor event spaces, and a new 2,000-space parking garage; the new Salt Seafood & Raw Bar; and an onsite medical center for employees and guests. Some elements of the project, such as the transformation of the former Lava Nightclub into NY Rec & Social Club, are already complete while work continues on the rest. The Crescent celebrated a topping ceremony in April, marking significant progress on that part of the project. “It’s moving along on time, on budget, slated to open in 2027,” Oneida Nation VP for Strategic Communications and Community Engagement Joel Barkin says. “Now, it’s really taking form.” Also moving ahead is construction of the parking garage, which is about halfway complete, he adds, while the Grand Expo 165,000-square-foot conference and events center is being framed out. “We’re already starting to prospect for business,” Barkin says of the Grand Expo. Staff are already meeting with event and meeting planners interested in the space and will soon be taking reservations for the hotel and Grand Expo. The additional space is needed based on current demand, especially for weddings, which is expected to grow. “There’s more interest and demand than supply,” Barkin says of Turning Stone’s event space.

The new hotel will bring the total number of rooms close to 1,000, while the expanded meeting space provides options to host more events. “We are able to go after much larger meetings and events,” Barkin adds. Once complete, the project will put Turning Stone in competition with major convention venues, he says. Turning Stone will be the largest event venue in upstate New York and one of the three venues of the same size in the state. “It opens up an entire universe of potential new partners and prospects to us,” he says. The project is expected to generate a $616 million one-time economic impact, create 3,600 one-time jobs, and generate $22.1 million in state and local tax revenues. “We think everything we’re offering complements what we’re building,” Barkin says of the Turning Stone Evolution project. Turning Stone Resort Casino already includes five hotels, two spas, five golf courses, more than 20 dining options, a 125,000-square-foot gaming floor, a sports-betting lounge, The Showroom concert venue, a 5,000-seat arena, and several nightlife venues. The Oneida Indian Nation has also been busy renovating its Point Place Casino located in the hamlet of Bridgeport, in the town of Sullivan. That project, coming in at $50 million, is doubling the existing gaming floor, adding a 100-room hotel with event space and a lobby café, adding a full-service restaurant, reimagining the Fireside Lounge, doubling parking, and adding new retail space. The first phase of the Point Place project, which includes the gaming and retail expansion and café, will open later this summer, followed by the hotel, restaurant, and other amenities later in the fall. The Oneida Indian Nation will also open its fifth Verona Collective cannabis dispensary in Bridgeport later this summer.