ISLANDIA, NY \u2014 A 10-foot sound buffer will be built at Jake’s 58 Casino Hotel as the Suffolk OTB awaits the Village of Islandia’s vote on its planned expansion.<\/p>\n
Phil Boyle, president and CEO of the Suffolk OTB, said he heard Delaware North, the previous owner of Jake’s 58, promised a sound wall during outreach with nearby residents. <\/p>\n
“And what did they put up but a chain link fence? Not exactly a sound wall, right?” Boyle told Patch. <\/p>\n Boyle promised a high-tech 10-foot wall with true soundproofing and greenery on both sides. It is expected to cost $1.25 million, and Boyle hopes the wall will be built early in the potential expansion process to protect neighbors from construction noise.<\/p>\n Gov. Kathy Hochul in January signed legislation that would allow Jake’s 58 to double its video lottery terminals from 1,000 to 2,000 machines.<\/p>\n The Islandia Village Board is set to vote on the expansion’s preliminary site approval on July 11, Boyle said. A possible vote on the final approval would be July 27.<\/p>\n Boyle declined to comment on how confident he is Islandia officials will vote in the Suffolk OTB’s favor, but he said he is “hopeful.”<\/p>\n “It’s an independently-elected board and they know their stuff,” he said. “They watch out for their constituents.”<\/p>\n Should the board vote against the expansion, Boyle said he is “absolutely” willing to work with the community on finding a solution.<\/p>\n “I think we’ve had a good partnership with the mayor and village board to date,” he said. “We listen to their concerns in a lot of different areas and try to accommodate them as best we can. I think that partnership will continue. If for some reason, the vote doesn’t go our way on July 11 and July 27, we will listen to their further concerns and make any modifications to address their concerns as quickly as possible.”<\/p>\n The Suffolk OTB is holding two bids: construction and financing. Boyle said he hopes a shovel will be in the ground for the casino hotel’s expansion by November so that it could be completed by the end of 2025.<\/p>\n The OTB is looking for three parking lots to be approved on July 11, as parking is the casino’s “biggest problem,” Boyle said.<\/p>\n “We literally have more customers coming in every day than parking availability. That’s been an ongoing issue but one we hope to get resolved as quickly as possible. Of course, the final, when it’s completely done, we’ll have almost tripled our parking, and it won’t be an issue at all.”<\/p>\n Jake’s 58 is also planning a “rehabilitation” where its 200 rooms will be upgraded, and a sports bar will go where the bistro is, Boyle said.<\/p>\n Boyle is a former New York state senator, a Republican based in Bay Shore. He did not seek re-election in November 2022.<\/p>\n \n Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.<\/p>\nInterested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.<\/h2>\n
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