A group of investors with a plan to bring a thoroughbred horse racing facility to Gardner outlined their vision during a public meeting at Williams Restaurant on Wednesday.
Officials with Bay State Racing LLC met with members of the public to discuss their proposal, which they said would convert the GAAMHA property at 827 Green St. into a year-round equestrian facility with activities that would include: thoroughbred racing and wagering; agricultural and equestrian festivals; a breeding program; training facilities; and therapy programs for individuals in recovery.
This is Bay State Racing’s second attempt to bring horse racing to Gardner; the 2023 attempt failed when it was determined that the parcel the organization was interested in using could not be zoned for commercial use.
About 50 residents turned out for the meeting.
John Stefanini, an attorney who is representing Bay State Racing, led the presentation. He said the equestrian facility, which would include racing on some weekends, would bring economic revitalization to the area.
Bay State Racing has entered an agreement with the city to hold no more than 20 races per year, Stefanini said. The number of races would depend on the availability of horses and prize money.
“We’re going to help local restaurants and small businesses with activity, albeit a few times a year,” he said. “We’ll have yearly payments of approximately $500,000 to the city, which equates to about 2-and-a-half-percent of the local tax levy. We’ll pay for all expenses related to our festival days, whether that’s one, two, or three weekends a year.”
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Other benefits would include the creation of 15-to-20 permanent jobs and more than 100 temporary jobs, a permanent venue for local functions and events, and protection and preservation of wetlands and open spaces, Stefanini said.
Several of those in attendance expressed concerns about traffic congestion on Rt. 140 on race days, animal welfare, gambling addiction, and possible environmental contamination in the area.
Gardner resident Carolyn Bouchard, who described herself as longtime horse-owner, said she used to board her horse at the property, which was formerly LeBlanc Stables, and had heard that the site was contaminated.
“We’ve investigated whatever documents are available, and we have not seen (evidence of) that,” Stefanini said. “If in fact we discover some kind of (contamination), we will be required to clean it up.”
Addressing a question from a resident who expressed concerns about gambling addiction, Stefanini said that wagering at the site would only occur on race days.
“So there will be no restaurant at this location where you can go and wager any day of the week,” he said.
One resident wondered if the site would have the toilet facilities to handle the excess sewage generated during events.
“The site right now has a recently permitted septic system that services (the GAAMHA facility), other than that we would have for events – three, six, nine days a year – we would use porta-potties,” Stefanini said. “The sewage would be collected and shipped off site, like you see at any large event.”
GAAMHA officials have announced that they had entered into a contingent agreement with Bay State Racing to sell the property for $1.6 in a private sale. The Gardner City Council, which has initial authority over whether to allow racing at the site, is expected to take a vote on whether to schedule a public hearing on the measure at its next meeting on July 1. If approved, the owners of the property would still have to apply for a racing license from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
To convert the current property into a racing facility would require very little work, according to Stefanini, who said the site had been used for the past 150 years in way that was consistent with Bay State Racing’s vision.
“We have to rebuild the track because the existing track is not big enough for thoroughbreds,” he said. “But the barns, the house, all with a little bit of renovation and cosmetic work, work for us. They only thing we’re talking about constructing is the gazebo.”
