Suffolk Downs officials unveil plans for $1b gambling resort; architect envisions ‘urban oasis’

By Mark Arsenault and Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

The owners and managers of the Suffolk Downs racetrack this morning unveiled plans for a $1 billion gambling resort on a 163-acre site in East Boston that will include a hotel, restaurants, casino gambling space, entertainment venues, a spa — and the racetrack.

(Elkus Manfredi Architects)

The track officials said the project would include a 200,000-square-foot gambling space that would house 4,000 to 5,000 slot machines and 200 table games.

The project would generate 2,500 construction jobs and 4,000 people would eventually work at the resort, the officials said.

The resort would generate an estimated $200 million annually in tax revenues. The officials said in a news release that they would also commit $40 million to fix roads and intersections in the area.

Architect David Manfredi described the design as a collection of new buildings, outdoor spaces, and a renovated grandstand, working together with a lot of glass and “transparent spaces” to combine indoors and outdoors.

“We envision an urban oasis,” he said.

The officials at the 77-year-old thoroughbred track held a news conference this morning at the track to discuss their proposal. About 100 people gathered for the event.

Architectural renderings of the project released this morning showed airy structures that appeared to feature plenty of glass and steel.

Suffolk Downs is the leading contender to win the sole Greater Boston commercial casino license, which will eventually be awarded by the state gambling commission under the state’s new gambling expansion law.

Suffolk Downs is developing the project in partnership with casino giant Caesars Entertainment.