Railroad Baron’s Heirs Fight Casinos as N.Y. Weighs Bids

A New York panel that will select as many as four sites for upstate casinos must weigh threats of lawsuits, claims of environmental hazards and even opposition from the descendants of Gilded Age railroad baron E.H. Harriman. The committee is considering 16 bids, part of Governor Andrew Cuomo ’s plan to revive the region’s economy while adding $430 million to state and local coffers. The biggest prize is the area closest to New York City and its 8.4 million residents, where Caesars Entertainment Corp. (CZR) and Genting Bhd. (GENT) are vying to build resorts in Orange County. The Harrimans, whose donated land created New York’s second-biggest state park, are fighting to stop both, including enforcing limits on deeds to block Caesars.