OXFORD — Calling Oxford Casino “an incredible economic engine,” a spokeswoman for Churchill Downs Inc., owner of the casino, said a $300 million dollar investment in New York State will not draw future investments away from the Oxford facility.

Churchill Down officials announced Tuesday that it wants to build a destination resort casino in East Greenbush, N.Y., a suburb of Albany, the state capital. 

“The Oxford Casino has only been open for a year-and-a-half and has already become an incredible economic engine for the region and the state,” Churchill Downs spokeswoman Courtney Yopp Norris said. “We hope we can continue to invest in the facility and in turn bring even more economic development dollars and jobs to western and southern Maine.”

Oxford Casino on Route 26 opened June, 5, 2012. It was purchased by Churchill Downs in March 2013 for $160 million in cash.

Churchill Downs Inc. and Saratoga Casino and Raceway said they will partner in bidding for one of four available commercial casino licenses in upper New York State. The plan calls for construction of a casino in East Greenbush that they say will create jobs, grow the economy and keep taxes down.

The project is one of nearly two dozen proposals being bandied about as New York moves to issue up to four casino licenses. Final bids are due June 30, with a decision on locations expected in the fall.

The project includes a 300-room resort-style hotel, a full complement of dining options, multiple entertainment venues, a night club, a sports bar and a showroom. It also includes 20,000 square feet of high-end retail space, corporate officials said.

The project will create 700 construction jobs, 1,700 permanent, good-paying jobs with benefits, and thousands of additional jobs in the community and region, they said.

The company said the plan also will support local needs with $24.1 million annually for the region, in addition to $5.7 million annually for East Greenbush and Rensselaer County.

A similar deal was structured for Oxford and Oxford County when the Oxford Casino was constructed.

In addition to the Oxford Casino, Churchill Downs, headquartered in Louisville, Ky., owns and operates Churchill Downs Racetrack, home of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, as well as racetrack and casino operations and a poker room in Miami Gardens, Fla.; racetrack, casino and video poker operations in New Orleans, La.; racetrack operations in Arlington Heights, Ill.; a casino resort in Greenville, Miss.; a casino hotel in Vicksburg, Miss.; and a 50 percent ownership in joint venture Miami Valley Gaming and Racing in Lebanon, Ohio.

Churchill Downs also owns other online wagering companies, online bingo and other interests.

“This project does not in any way affect the decisions we make for other properties,” Yopp Norris said.

ldixon@sunjournal.com