Possible racetrack sites
- Franklin: Shaker Industrial Park (120 acres), Franklin Business Park (190 acres and 223 acres), Franklin Heritage Farms (121 acres) and Franklin Business Park (117 acres)
- Lebanon: Northeast quadrant of Interstate 71 and Ohio 48 (164 acres)
- Mason-Kings Mills: Northwest quadrant of I-71 and Ohio 741 (127 acres) and Kings Mills Farms (45 acres)
- Middletown: West of Interstate 75 south of Walmart on South Towne Boulevard (130 acres) and east of I-75 off Union Road south of Ohio 122 (230 acres)
- Monroe: Corridor 75 (285 acres) and VH Monroe (150 acres)
- Monroe/Turtlecreek Twp.: Young Property/Robinson Development (261 acres, most of which already belongs to racetrack owners), Berns Corp. (120 to 500 acres across four locations)
Source: Warren County Office of Economic Development
The race is on for a new location with high interstate visibility for the Lebanon Raceway as the first installment of the $65 million licensing fee has to be ponied up by Sept. 15, with the rest due in 2010.
Among several sites submitted by the Warren County Economic Development Department are two in Middletown: One has more than 130 acres and is located west of Interstate 75 and south of South Towne Boulevard. The other has more than 230 acres and is east of I-75 off Union Road south of Ohio 122 in Turtlecreek Twp.
Mike Robinette, city economic development director, said he didn’t think either site was “a longshot.” “These are two very competitive sites that meet the criteria,” he said.
Both sites, midway between Cincinnati and Dayton, would have lower land costs and a newly improved interchange that is under construction.
Other sites submitted by the county’s economic development office are in Franklin, Monroe, Lebanon and Mason.
On July 11, General Manager Mel Hagemeyer said the owners are also looking at the area around the Austin Boulevard interchange in Montgomery County.
As part of balancing the new two-year budget approved by the Ohio General Assembly, part of the $933 million in revenues will include funds from 14,000 video lottery terminals at seven racetracks around the state. As many as 2,500 VLTs could be at the new Lebanon Raceway facility.
“Every property owner on the I-75 corridor is standing in line to talk with them,” said Warren County Commissioner Pat South. “We’re working closely with them to find the most perfect site in Warren County. We have several sites that will be very enticing to them, and we want to make sure they have the best information possible.”
Horses have raced at Lebanon since 1948, but owners are interested in an I-75 site to move 100 jobs and add 200 to 300 more. Hagemeyer said a new racing and gambling facility would cost as much as $210 million and eventually could include a hotel.
Racetrack owners already own about 240 acres of land south of the new Cincinnati Premium Outlet Mall in Monroe, which also has the zoning, liquor permits and local voter approval to permit gambling already are in place.
“You couldn’t go wrong anywhere along that stretch of I-75 between Monroe and southern Montgomery County,” South said.
About the Author
