Tioga Downs breaks ground on hotel

Tioga Downs officially broke ground on their new hotel project this morning. The 161-room hotel is the last major addition to the property as they expand into the Tioga Downs Resort and Casino. It will be built next to the parking garage. The hotel will include 11 suites, banquet facilities, rooftop decks, three pools, and a spa. It is planned to open a year from now. Also with the hotel, today’s groundbreaking included plans to build a new clubhouse and make other improvements to the current Tioga Country Club in Nichols. The ribbon cutting for the new casino area is tentatively planned for November. Before today’s ceremony, Tioga Downs Owner Jeff Gural presented a check for $100,000 to the Southern Tier Veterans Support Group. Half of the money was raised in ticket sales for the Grand Funk Railroad concert. Gural matched the amount with a personal donation. Pictures of today’s ceremony are available on the WEBO Facebook page.