Schenectady casino developer 'caught off guard' by poor reaction to new design

"We had the idea that we should evolve our plan and make it more representative of the area," he said, adding that the budget for the project hasn't changed.

Rush Street, a Chicago-based gambling operator, is teamed up with Galesi Group of Rotterdam on the $300 million Schenectady casino, the centerpiece of a $480 million mixed-use project called Rivers Casino and Resort at Mohawk Harbor that features a 50-boat slip harbor, two hotels, condos and apartments, and retail and office space for tech firms on 60 acres along Erie Boulevard.

The newly named general manager discussed market strategy and said she plans to live in Schenectady so she can be close to work and enjoy all that it has to offer.

"What I think is personally going be a home run for us is that there are no table games around us," said Mary Cheeks during a visit with Carlin to Rush Street's downtown office.

Carlin said the nearest casino is Turning Stone, the Oneida Indian Nation resort in Verona that is about 100 miles west of Schenectady.

Cheeks said the choices are Turning Stone or Foxwoods in Connecticut, "So I'm going to make sure all that scope of population comes to us at Rivers here in Schenectady."

The key, Carlin said, to getting those targeted customers in the door and keeping them coming back is making the experience worthwhile for patrons by making parking easy and having affable dealers who create a pleasant experience.

To do that, Cheeks said, you need a great marketing strategy and a strong team that provides excellent service and works closely with the community.

The visit Monday by Carlin and Cheeks comes two days before the casino plan will be reviewed Wednesday by the city Planning Commission for possible site-plan approval.

Carlin said work is ongoing and they hope to break ground on the casino in the fall, even though the state has not formally issued the casino license to Rush Street.

Cheeks, who is African-American and currently serves as chief financial officer and senior vice president of finance for Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and Sugar House Casino in Philadelphia, has been with Rush Street since 2010. Asked whether she faced discrimination because of her race and gender, she said she experienced more sexism in the early stages "because gaming and finances are very much male-dominated." She said she plans on living Schenectady, which she described as a "small, quaint town with a lot of deep history."

"I want to be close to the job, I want to understand how Schenectady works in terms of its community," Cheeks said, adding she doesn't want to be snowed in and miss work.