(Rochester, N.Y.) – Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack is betting that it can lure the Rochester Broadway Theater League by offering up its existing customer base.
The racetrack and Town of Farmington officials made a pitch to the RBTL’s site selection committee Thursday. RBTL is seeking a new home, claiming Auditorium Center is outdated and too small.
Four other sites are under consideration: Medley Centre, Town of Webster, Clinton Crossings, and Canal Ponds Park.
The racetrack pointed to a shovel-ready site with infrastructure already in place, 2,100 parking spaces, town political support, and a location right off the Thruway in a fast-growing area. The cost of a new theater at the Farmington site would be $40 million to $50 million, officials said.
“The site we have selected is highly visible, a premier location, in one of the fastest growing counties in New York State,” said Ron Brand, director of planning and development for Farmington.
Dixon Schwabl conducted a survey of racino patrons, 85 percent of whom said they were likely to attend a Broadway show at the facility. The racino attracted 1.7 million visitors last year, racetrack officials said.
“It's a great economic impact story and it uses a performing arts center to drive a whole different kind of economic development,” said RBTL chairman Arnold Rothschild.
RBTL has not identified funding for a new theater.
The city of Rochester is not on the short list of sites, preferring that RBTL renovate its current home, something the league has refused to consider. The city is conducting an evaluation of the Auditorium, to see if a renovation is feasible.
The city does not own the theater, however. RBTL recently refinanced the Auditorium, obtaining a $1.21 million mortgage. Rothschild said the original $1.6 million mortgage was co-signed by the city’s Cultural Commission, which will eventually be dissolved. The new loan was not co-signed by the commission, effectively ending any perception of city control over the Auditorium, Rothschild said.
A spokesman for the mayor said in an e-mail, “The city will host Broadway shows. We'd prefer it to be with RBTL, but whatever happens, the city will host Broadway Shows.”
