Finger Lakes economic council co-chair calls Batavia Downs funding bid ‘a no-brainer’

Bob Duffy, co-chair of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council, backed a proposed $80 million expansion of Batavia Downs after touring the facility Friday. The plan would enlarge its hotel and add a multipurpose event center on a nearby former Kmart site. Western Regional Off-Track Betting is seeking about $30 million in state assistance, saying the project could generate more revenue for New York and local municipalities.