New York Governor Kathy Hochul joined native officers, NYRA and numerous building trade representatives on Wednesday to mark the “end result level” of a brand new city undertaking. Belmont Parkat present present process a multi-year redevelopment undertaking to create a world-class racing and leisure vacation spot.
“Immediately, as we elevate the ultimate beam, is a large milestone for Belmont Park and the state of New York,” Hochul mentioned. “This undertaking will do extra than simply rebuild the racetrack. It’s going to create jobs, enhance the economic system and guarantee Belmont stays a world-class vacation spot. This redevelopment means hundreds of good-paying union jobs, new alternatives for native companies, and a facility that can entice guests from all over the world.”
Historically held to have fun the completion of the constructing’s tallest structural component, Wednesday’s ceremony included the elevating and set up of metal beams embellished with American flags and evergreens to convey good luck to future occupants of the constructing and grounds. Previous to the topping-out ceremony, the metal beam was signed by building employees, NYRA employees, elected officers, and different stakeholders.
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Development of the brand new constructing’s exterior and inside will proceed over the approaching months, together with the set up of a dramatic cover construction that can develop into one of many venue’s signature visible options. Roughly 220 employees from a wide range of industries are on website every day, and through peak building occasions that quantity will increase to 350-400.
Belmont Park is scheduled to open for dwell racing in September 2026, and the Belmont Stakes is scheduled to return to its Lengthy Island residence in 2027. This follows a three-year interval during which the occasion was briefly moved to Saratoga. In Might, Hochul introduced Belmont Park as the positioning for the 2027 Breeders’ Cup World Championship, which was final held in New York state in 2005.
“Due to the management and imaginative and prescient of Governor Hochul, who has lengthy acknowledged the significance of horse racing to New York State’s economic system and tradition, NYRA is remodeling Belmont Park into the sports activities and leisure vacation spot New York deserves,” mentioned NYRA President and CEO David O’Rourke. “Immediately’s milestone is a testomony to the dedication of our building personnel on website, the NYRA group, and the experience of our companions at AECOM Tishman and Populous. Due to their work, a brand new Belmont Park shall be on Lengthy Island in 2026.”
AECOM Tishman is Belmont Park’s building supervisor. Based in 1898 and one of many world’s main building corporations, AECOM Tishman has in depth expertise managing complicated and essential initiatives, having managed greater than 900 million sq. toes of building, together with iconic buildings equivalent to Manhattan West, One Vanderbilt, Hudson Yards and 270 Park Avenue.
The Belmont Park building undertaking will generate $1 billion in construction-related financial impression and create 3,700 construction-related jobs. After thoroughbred racing returns to Belmont Park in 2026, extra racing and non-racing actions on the new facility are anticipated to generate $155 million in annual financial output and $10 million in new state and native tax income yearly.
Hochul’s 2023 government funds included a proposal for NYRA to modernize Belmont Park, which was accredited within the 2024 funds, offering NYRA with a $455 million mortgage to construct a brand new horse racing facility on the historic Elmont, New York property.
The centerpiece of Belmont Park’s redevelopment is a 300,000-square-foot, five-story constructing with visitor facilities and differentiated hospitality. Past the boundaries of the constructing itself, the redeveloped Belmont Park will open up an unlimited infield by pedestrian and vehicular tunnels, offering followers and the encompassing neighborhood with extra publicly accessible inexperienced area than ever earlier than.
Designed by world structure agency Populous in collaboration with NYRA, Belmont Park will usher in a brand new period for New York horse racing, incorporating twenty first century know-how right into a strikingly fashionable design whereas paying homage to the historical past and custom that characterizes the ability.
“It has been an honor to work with NYRA, AECOM Tishman, and all of our companions to comprehend this imaginative and prescient, and I congratulate the group on reaching this milestone,” mentioned Meg McWilliam, Populous Principal and Senior Architect. “We’re proud to be a part of a undertaking that’s setting new requirements for racing services all over the world and look ahead to the return of racing to Belmont subsequent fall.”
All through the design course of, the varied wants of friends, homeowners, trainers, jockeys, and horse racing personnel had been fastidiously thought-about to boost the on-site expertise and set up Belmont Park as a worldwide capital of the game.
As a part of the Belmont Park redevelopment, NYRA has expanded efforts to modernize the barn space and backstretch, accomplished building of two new dormitories, and building on a 3rd dormitory is anticipated to start later this yr. Along with new properties at Belmont Park, NYRA has made important investments to enhance the standard of life on the backstretch, together with:
- On-site clinic upgrades
- Putting in the most recent blue gentle safety system
- Recreation corridor and truck kitchen facility upgrades
- Renovated the gymnasium on the premises
- Implementing new flood mitigation methods
- Guarantee entry to dependable Wi-Fi
When accomplished, Belmont Park will function 4 racing surfaces: a conventional 1.5-mile dust primary monitor, two turf programs, and a 1-mile Tapeta monitor devoted to winter racing. NYRA has rebuilt every monitor from the bottom up utilizing probably the most technologically superior irrigation and drainage programs to make sure a secure and constant race floor designed to resist a wide range of climate situations. NYRA plans to open Tapeta Monitor in November.
