The competition for a state casino license dropped by one Thursday when the state Gaming Facility Location Board disqualified Montgomery County's proposal as incomplete.
The $250 million project by the Clairvest Group Inc. and Great Canadian Gaming Corporation in the City of Amsterdam and Town of Florida would have been located near Thruway Exit 27 and promised 450 construction jobs, 850 permanent jobs, and $11.4 million annually in gaming taxes.
But the Gaming Facility Location Board cited about 80 unanswered questions on the project application as one reason for disqualifying the bid.
Also, the board said the applicants didn't physically file the application and failed to provide enough of the required information.
Project applicants had previously sought a 60-day extension to complete the application and a reduced application fee.
Both requests were denied.
Again Thursday at their meeting in Manhattan, board members said every applicant must abide by the rules.
That leaves four projects, including Howe Caverns Resort and Casino, still standing in the Capital Region:
--Howe Caverns Resort and Casino, a $450 million shovel-ready project at Howe Caverns that includes two hotels, a water park, dinosaur theater, and six restaurants.
It promises to create 3,000 construction and 1,700 ongoing jobs, and estimates $158 million in resort revenues $131 million in gross gaming, and $23 million from the water park in the first year.
--Capital View Casino and Resort in East Greenbush, proposed by Saratoga Harness Racing and Churchill Downs.
Plans include a 100-room hotel, a steakhouse operated by Mazzone Hospitality, and a 500-events Center.
--Hard Rock Hotel and Casino at de Laet's Landing in the City of Rennsselaer, along the Hudson River across from Albany.
Plans there include a Hard Rock Café and other branded facilities.
--Rivers Casino and Resort at Mohawk Harbor, a three-phase $450 million project that includes apartments, hotels, restaurants, and shops, proposed by Rotterdam developer the Galesi Group and Rush Street.
For the 17 projects still in the game, the next step in the process will come September 8-9 at the Empire State Plaza when each applicant will give a 45-minute presentation to the Gaming Board, followed by a 15-minute question and answer session.
Then, on September 22, a daylong public hearing at the Holiday Inn on Wolf Road, Albany, from 8am-8pm, will give residents a chance to comment on the casino proposals.
There will also be public comment events in the Hudson Valley on September 23, and in the Southern Tier on September 24.