The Seneca Nation and local leaders broke ground on a $40 million expansion to the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino Thursday.
The two-story expansion will add more than 300 slot machines and table games to the casino. Plans also call for retail space, a live performance stage and a new restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Seneca Nation officials see potential with investing in downtown Buffalo.
I think we've made the right decision again to expand at Buffalo Creek, we see it here, we see the enthusiasm, we see what's happening, I don't think it was really an option, just a matter of when," said Barry Snyder, Seneca Gaming Corporation board of directors chairman.
"I think we can accomplish a lot more, this is just one thing in the development of Western New York, because Western New York is our home, we're not going away, we're staying here, we invest back into Western New York with everything that we do," said Todd Gates, Seneca Nation treasurer.
The project will create 300 new jobs for the casino and about 440 construction jobs. Work begins this month and is expected to be completed by next spring.