Off-Track Betting Parlor Called 'Perfect Match' for Gloucester Township

Details for a planned off track betting facility at the former Stone Grill on Blackwood-Clementon Road were laid out Wednesday in a hearing of the state Racing Commission.

The hearing was held at the Gloucester Township Municipal Hall.

Penn National Gaming Inc. wants to construct a 1,600-square-foot betting parlor at the former restaurant that will allow patrons to bet on horse races from around the world. The site's existing infrastructure will allow the gaming company to renovate the building in a central location and avoid building from the ground up, a company official said.

“I think it’s really a perfect match,” Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer said after testifying at the hearing. “They won’t have to change the footprint at all.”

Mayer said the project will help revitalize the Blackwood-Clementon Road corridor and bring up to 40 jobs to the township. He said the township will also receive 1 percent of the revenue from the facility.

The Racing Commission heard more than an hour of testimony on Wednesday, but delayed a decision for at least a week to allow correspondence from residents about the project.

Penn National officials said they hope for an approval and an expected opening date in October.