Lincoln Park Gets Makeover

As reported by the Connecticut Day: " Bitter winds and rain couldn't dampen the glitz and glamour Tuesday as three prominent business partners pledged $125 million to transform the tired Lincoln Park dog track into the Ocean State's premier entertainment destination featuring thousands of video slots, top entertainment acts and upscale dining.

"During a gala ribbon-cutting, Rhode Island dignitaries and business leaders munched on shrimp, sipped champagne and rubbed elbows with Elvis, Elton John and Marilyn Monroe impersonators as BLB Investors LLC described how it would spend the next 18 months restoring the luster to the once-lustrous Lincoln Park.

"The top-to-bottom metamorphosis will add 160,000 square feet to the park, more than a thousand new video lottery terminals (Rhode Island's equivalent of a Connecticut slot machine), new restaurants and bars and a 2,000-seat entertainment venue and increase employment by more than 500 jobs.

"…State officials welcomed the major renovation of Lincoln Park, saying the 500-plus new jobs and new gaming revenues are good news for Rhode Island's thirsty fiscal coffers. As part of the agreement allowing BLB to take over the park and add to its existing footprint in Lincoln, R.I., the state will receive 60 percent of the net lottery terminals' revenue, the highest payout to any state…"