No, there's been no announcement of who will get a casino license in Sullivan County (if any), but as of this week, Mohegan Sun and Concord Associates have begun work on around 80-100 acres of the original Concord Resort Hotel site in Kiamesha Lake.

It's actually a resumption of construction that began a decade ago under developer Louis Cappelli, back even when it was not tied to a casino. Work was halted five years ago, leaving the property overgrown with weeds, but fresh dirt now appears around active bulldozers and excavators.

“We want to be in a position, when we're awarded a license, to pour concrete,” Property Manager Henry Zabatta confirmed yesterday. Less than a dozen union workers have been on site this week, but Zabatta said that number will ramp up soon as Cappelli and Mohegan Sun race against the arrival of Old Man Winter (work will be ongoing Monday-Saturday).

Assuming the anticipated mid-November license announcement goes Mohegan Sun's way, Zabatta estimates nearly $1 million will be spent by the end of this year, mostly to prepare the site for building construction next year.

If they don't get a casino license? Well, there is no “Plan B,” he acknowledged. “We're taking a chance here,” Zabatta admitted, “but we feel if we're going to be in the game, we want to be ready.”