The 155,000 square-foot building,
expected to open in late 2013, is the integral part of track operator Jeff
Gural’s plan to reinvigorate harness racing at the Meadowlands.
Approximately 50 pieces of steel a
day will be set between now and mid-February 2013, the estimated topping off
date, for a total of 2,200 tons. Two dozen tradesmen are at work daily on
the project under the management of LPCiminelli.
Fans and horsemen will be able to
watch the new grandstand’s progress over the course of the 2013 live racing
season, which begins Friday, December 28, 2012. Racing is slated for three nights a week, Thursday –
Saturday, through March 16. The schedule then reverts to Friday and
Saturday until the Championship Meet finale on Hambletonian Day, August 3.
The 2013 season will also mark a return to racing in November and
December. An official racing calendar will be released later this month
after NJ Racing Commission approval.