WHEELING - Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack officials plan to invest more than $250,000 to completely renovate its greyhound race course.
In an exclusive interview with The Intelligencer on Tuesday, facility President and General Manager Jim Simms outlined the project.
Simms said there will be no racing at the track today, while crews apply a binding agent to the surface. Dogs should resume running by Friday, but the facility will close again Sept. 7 so workers can install a more permanent solution. Simms said the refurbished track should reopen around Sept. 21.
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(Photo by Casey Junkins)
Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack officials plan to close the greyhound track for about two weeks, beginning Sept. 7, to overhaul the facility. The track also will not host greyhound racing today so workers can apply a temporary fix.
Simulcast racing, during which track patrons can bet on races taking place at other venues, will remain open during the Wheeling track closure, Simms emphasized.
"As long as racing is here, we are going to execute it to the best of our ability," Simms said, noting the project would cost "significantly north of $250,000."
He added the track's parent company, Delaware North, will foot the full bill for the project.
"Delaware North is committed to Wheeling Island," Simms said. "We are here to stay."
Simms said the track has a "great record for safety" and that totally overhauling the course for the first time since the late-1980s will bolster those safety marks by addressing factors that have led to some greyhounds experiencing cracked nails, muscle strains and broken legs in recent months.
"This is the right thing to do for the greyhounds," Simms said.
"This is going to be a top to bottom restoration," he added, noting workers will excavate the entire track to replace underground coils. "We want to do it correctly."
Simms said the track received permission to temporarily halt greyhound running from the West Virginia Racing Commission. State regulations require the track to hold a certain number of races to keep slot machines and table games in operation.
Simms also noted the Wheeling Island facility is creating a fund to pay for rehabilitation for injured dogs, and the track will provide part of the money for the fund.
Emphasizing that Delaware North aims for Wheeling Island to remain competitive with newer tracks in Pennsylvania, Simms said the new racetrack surface is part of the company's effort to "improve and refresh the property." He pointed out live racing is "still a positive contributor to our revenue base."
With gambling expanding in the Keystone State, as well as voter-approved plans for casinos in Ohio's four largest cities, Simms knows Wheeling Island is locked in fierce competition for gambling dollars. He said refurbishing the track shows the company continues to invest in Wheeling.
However, Simms said previous plans for constructing a second hotel tower are on hold because of the dual front competition.
"We originally envisioned adding another tower," he said, noting the impact from Pennsylvania slots and tables has "been significant."
"We want to get clarification on what is going to happen in Ohio before moving forward with more expansion," Simms added.