Brasher track finish line remains distant reality

By Cap Carey
Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
Aug. 21--It could be a decade or longer before the project is completed, but the proposed 126,000-seat race track in Brasher is still a work in progress.
The beginnings of the track can be traced to a press conference in March 2006 at the Massena International Airport where plans were announced to build the facility, which also will be partly in the town of Norfolk.
Since that point the fundraising process has continued through tedious and rocky times. A group from Bahrain was interested in investing, but issues with foreign donors after 9/11, slowed that down.
"Financing is always its own business in and of itself," said Jerry Colachino, the Chief Executive Officer of Utica's Northway Island Associates, the company that will run the facility. "Everything is moving forward with the financing. It always takes longer than it's supposed to, but everything looks good so far. We are very optimistic."
The current plan is to build a $180-million facility. It would include the 3/4-mile race track, hotels, a 1/4-mile drag strip, an 18-hole golf course, as well as a harness track and video lottery terminals.
Construction would be done in three phases.
"If everything went absolutely as correct as possibly, we're probably looking toward the latter part of (next) summer," Colachino said, regarding the beginning of construction. "It's too hard to say."
There will be a few obstacles for the group prior to construction.
Once financing is complete the organization must turn in an environmental impact study, which usually takes eight to 10 months, and addresses the impact the facility would have on wildlife, wetlands, traffic flow and noise.
The company has already purchased the land, buying 856 acres for $1.2 million in June 2007.
"We haven't hit that stage yet," Colachino said of the environmental impact statement. "With anything there's tradeoffs. There are wetlands in St. Lawrence County and things you have to contend with. We tend to fully abide with all laws and regulations. Our engineering firm has reached out to them and began initial introductions."
One obstacle the group hasn't faced is public opposition to the proposed facility. Local government leaders have been supportive of the project. That was a major reason Brasher was chosen as a possible location.
"If the support was not there, this project would have been dead three or four years ago," Colachino said. "One of the reasons we selected that area is just the support we had and we know we can get a lot of things done. To have to fight public or fight things, you can see why so many projects just die."
Colachino said the company also wants to preserve the natural beauty of the area once the facility is built, incorporating the scenery into the site.
"We're not going to come in and put asphalt and concrete everywhere," Colachino said. "Even in the parking areas, we'll leave it as field and rows of trees we'll selectively harvest. We're not going to come in and clear cut."
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