Led by renowned developer R. Donahue Peebles, and managed by MGM MIRAGE, one of the world’s leading casino companies, MGM Grand at Aqueduct will make your community shine.

Our qualified and experienced team brings to the table the most viable proposal, using existing SEQRA permits to develop the property. Our proven track record of completing large-scale developments, a solid financial capacity and a longstanding commitment to working with community stakeholders ensures our project proposal will not only benefit, but also embrace the neighborhood you love.

Recognized as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the nation, R. Donahue Peebles is the President and CEO of The Peebles Corporation. The firm has a $4 billion development portfolio of projects completed, underway and planned across the U.S. in cities such as Washington, D.C., Miami Beach, San Francisco and Las Vegas. It is widely regarded as the country's largest African-American real estate development company.

An active developer for nearly 25 years, Mr. Peebles has been a visionary in contributing to the economic revitalization of Washington, D.C. and Miami Beach, Florida before it became popular. He and his firm focus on urban revitalization, mixed-use development and public-private partnerships. He has a track record of working with community groups and government organizations to successfully complete large-scale projects.

In June of 2009, Mr. Peebles was named by Forbes as one of the country’s ten richest African Americans. Mr. Peebles appears regularly on CNN, CNBC and FOX to advise on real estate, economic and political issues. He has been featured in publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Black Enterprise, Ebony and Forbes. Mr. Peebles is also the top selling author of The Peebles Principles and The Peebles Path to Real Estate Wealth.

MGM MIRAGE (NYSE: MGM), one of the world's leading and most respected companies with significant holdings in gaming, hospitality and entertainment, owns and operates 16 properties located in Nevada, Mississippi and Michigan, and has 50% investments in four other properties in Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois and Macau. CityCenter, an unprecedented urban metropolis on the Las Vegas Strip, scheduled to open in late 2009, is a joint venture between MGM MIRAGE and Infinity World Development Corp, a subsidiary of Dubai World. MGM MIRAGE Hospitality has entered into agreements for future casino and non-casino resorts in the People's Republic of China, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. and Vietnam. MGM MIRAGE supports responsible gaming and has implemented the American Gaming Association's Code of Conduct for Responsible Gaming at its properties. MGM MIRAGE has received numerous awards and recognitions for its industry-leading Diversity Initiative and its community philanthropy programs.

MGM Grand at Aqueduct. A world-class entertainment destination like New York State has never seen. Ranked among the kings of casinos, like MGM’s Bellagio, Luxor, Mirage and MGM Grand Las Vegas, this dynamic project combines the entrepreneurial savvy of lead developer R. Donahue Peebles and the global power of the MGM brand.

Supporting your community is vital to our project. Working with the leadership of New York State and the Queens community is top priority. We’ll establish a model for public-private partnerships, while contributing to the comprehensive economic development of the overall community.

Why? Because we believe that if we succeed, the community should share in our success. And simply offering financial reward is not enough.

"As we continue to look for ways to close a multibillion dollar budget gap and address a worsening financial crisis,” comments Governor Paterson, “a successful gaming and entertainment facility will provide our State with new economic resources."

JOB CREATION

• Significant job creation during construction
• Project Labor Agreement for Union participation
• Target participation from local, minority and women-owned business
• Hundreds of permanent jobs in gaming management and hospitality

SMALL BUSINESS CENTER

• Funded by private money from casino revenue
• Provide access to jobs and vendor requests for Aqueduct project
• Offer other resources to empower small, local businesses

PEEBLES ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACADEMY

• Extend positive impact of project to youth in the community
• Expose students to the power of entrepreneurship
• Teach financial literacy and business skills
• Introduce motivational leaders to encourage success
• Internship and scholarship opportunities with team members

FINANCIAL BENEFITS TO COMMUNITY

• Tens of billions of dollars to support education Statewide
• Billions of dollars to support Thoroughbred Racing in New York

COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION

• Redevelop Aqueduct facility with new look and feel
• Beautification of landscaping visible from surrounding streets
• Create year-round excitement for visitors and locals

June 25, 2009
Aqueduct Bidder Launches Website
The Peebles team has just unveiled Theaqueductcasino.com, a website that chronicles its urban utopian vision for the development of an Aqueduct racino. Peebles said that web-savvy residents can keep abreast of all the amenities he has proposed, peruse conceptual designs of what the racino would look like and get information about how South Ozone Park and neighboring communities would benefit from the project.
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May 14, 2009
Peebles Submits Response To State Of New York’s Aqueduct Racetrack Solicitation
MGM Grand at Aqueduct to be the First World-Class, Branded VLT Entertainment Center
R. Donahue Peebles, owner of the largest African-American real estate development company in the country, has assembled a team, including MGM MIRAGE and Harbinger Capital Partners, to submit a compelling bid for the creation and operation of a world-class gaming and entertainment destination at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. Development of the proposed destination would be led by Peebles and operated by MGM MIRAGE, one of the world’s largest and most successful gaming and hospitality companies, as MGM Grand at Aqueduct.
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May 14, 2009
MGM Mirage back in hunt for Aqueduct racino
MGM Mirage, which two years ago dropped plans for a racino at Aqueduct, has partnered with The Peebles Corporation in seeking a 30-year contract. MGM and the New York Racing Association had a contract worked out that would have seen MGM loan NYRA $250-million to put 4,500 Video Lottery Terminals at the Queens track.
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May 13, 2009
Info On Aqueduct Casino Bidders Revealed
Information on bidders trying to win the potentially lucrative Aqueduct casino project is slowly being revealed following seven offers being submitted to the state of New York May 8. The members of one mystery group—Aqueduct Entertainment Group—was revealed May 11. The group’s partners include Navegante Group, a Las Vegas casino management company, and Green Star Services, which is serving as the developer of the proposed project, sources briefed on the proposal said.
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May 12, 2009
Seven-horse race for Big A Racino
There may now be seven horses in the race to operate a “Racino” at Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park – but nobody’s quite sure who all the jockeys are. What is certain is that seven proposals to run a Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) gaming room and other commercial and entertainment operations at the track were submitted by the deadline of 5 p.m. on Friday, May 8.
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