By the time you read this, the Montreign Resort Casino will be fully enclosed, with interior work ongoing in earnest.
“They’re just about done with the curtain wall,” Empire Resorts Executive Vice President Charlie Degliomini confirmed on March 6, referring to the striking bluegreen glass encompassing the 18-story hotel tower near Monticello – already the tallest building in the Sullivan/Orange/Ulster region.
“Everything is on time. We have no delays,” he added with pride – and a palpable sense of happiness, as Empire’s
gaming license from New York State mandates the casino be open this time next year.
“It’s a testament to the amazing work by our construction managers and all the union labor on that job,” Degliomini added.
Close to 500 workers are on site every day, and that will soon double so as to ensure a five-star level of luxury throughout the 1.5 million-square-foot resort.
“The level of finish of the drywall,” Degliomini offered by way of example, “is the highest standard you can get.”
The entranceway off Route 17’s Exit 106 is already in operation, and landscaping will kick into high gear when the weather warms.
That’s also when contractors will start building the Entertainment Village adjacent to the casino, featuring
retail stores, a Vegas-style nightclub and two restaurants contained within a six-story hotel, whose 150-160 rooms will be a smaller, less expensive alternative to the 332 in the tower.
It’s a switch from the original plans to site a pedestrian mall and multiplex at that location.
“We think it will give a lot more flexibility for our guests,” explained Degliomini.
That hotel will open after the casino but before the indoor waterpark just up Chalet Road. In fact, for between $15 and $20 million, the road will be relocated this year for better access to that facility, which is part of the overall Adelaar resort which Montreign will inhabit.
To be built by the same group behind Aquatopia in the Poconos – the largest indoor waterpark on the east coast – the waterpark lodge is scheduled to open in 2019.
The redesigned 18 holes of the famous Monster Golf Course should also open in that year – and the name will stay the same, honoring the course’s proud legacy when it was one of the pre-eminent offerings of the now-demolished Concord Resort Hotel in Kiamesha Lake.
“We think that brand is very wellknown,” affirmed Degliomini.
Want to see the progress? Visit montreign.com/construction-cam for the latest views and a stunning time-lapse video from groundbreaking to full buildout.