On Friday (Dec. 23), the Board of Commissioners of the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority formally entered into a 31-year lease agreement with the New Meadowlands Racetrack LLC (NMRLLC), headed by Jeff Gural, for the operation of Meadowlands Racetrack. The agreement will close, and private operation commence, on Dec. 24, 2011. The NMRLLC has been responsible for all costs of operating and managing the Meadowlands Racetrack since June 1, 2011.
The meeting also included the presentation of the details of Gural's deal with the NJSEA. The NMRLLC will pay annual rent of $1 per year for the first five years, with rent set at at least $500,000 a year for the rest of the 31-year ground lease.
In addition, The Bergen Record also reported that Gural would have a right to conduct slot machine operations or other new gaming at the track. If a casino is built at the Meadowlands Sports Complex without slots at the track, Gural would be able to walk away and recoup