The future of Bangor Raceway moved a step closer to finalization this week with the delivery of a draft report to the Bangor City Council that includes, among other things, the pros and cons of harness racing.

The draft report, titled, “Overview of Reuse Options Bass Park – Bangor, Maine,” was put together by the consulting firm Coplon Associates of Bar Harbor.

The report does not make recommendations but offers a number of options for various projects, including a new or refurbished Bangor Auditorium, a convention center, Bangor Municipal Golf Course, a soccer complex, Bangor State Fair facilities, campground facilities, and Bangor Raceway.

Bangor city councilor Dan Tremble said that councilors received the report on Sept. 7. He said that Bangor’s Special Committee on the Future of the Bangor Auditorium, which is co-chaired by councilor Michael Crowley and public member Jack Quirk Jr., would make recommendations based on the report.

“As I understand it, the committee is supposed to make a recommendation in the next couple of weeks on whether we should refurbish the old [auditorium], build a new one on the current site or at another site,” Tremble said.

The draft report, which is described by its author as a “preliminary evaluation,” suggests that three options should be considered for Bangor Raceway: retain it essentially “as is;” abandon it; or, modernize it with an all-weather clubhouse, restaurant, and video casino.

The report concludes that the decline in track betting and the increase in off-track betting in Maine are part of a national trend.

It states revenue from the live handle and off-track betting has decreased approximately 10 percent from last year, and that Bangor Raceway’s “current operation can probably survive but not prosper under the current economic situation.”

It points out that off-track betting has cut into track betting on a statewide level.

“OTB is now the major share of total betting and generates much of the state revenue that gets distributed to the tracks. This is a key point. The financial situation at the tracks [Bangor Raceway and Scarborough Downs] is heavily involved with off-track betting,” according to the report.

With the drop in the total handle, the state’s financial support to the tracks has also dwindled.

The report suggests that “unknowns” such as the possible closure of Scarborough Downs, which has been much speculated since the death earlier this year of its owner Joe Ricci, would be a boon to Bangor Raceway. Bangor Raceway would benefit from a longer meet that would likely be extended “to provide an adequate number of racing dates to support the industry.”

The closure of Scarborough Downs could increase Bangor Raceway’s season to 100 racing dates. It would also make the track the recipient of the entire state harness racing stipend.

The report describes the Bangor harness racing as “significantly more cost-efficient than Scarborough.”

The proposed introduction of video gambling machines is also considered an unknown that could benefit the raceway.

The report suggests that petitions will be circulated in an attempt to get the video gambling referendum on the November 2002 ballot. It concludes that should video gambling be voted into law, it would “probably change the entire economic future for harness racing” and pointed out the benefits to the industry in Delaware and Ontario.

The report takes into consideration the opinions of harness racing “industry” people that who believe Bangor can better handle the downturn in racing revenues because the raceway is run by “industry people.”

But should the economic situation remain the same, “even the Bangor situation will reach an economically unsupportable position.”

Fred Nichols, the general manager at Bangor Raceway, is the industry person the report refers to. He said he has seen the report.

“I’ve read it once and my impressions were that it was thorough. But I’d like the time to consider it before going beyond that,” Nichols said.

Down the stretch: As expected, Landmark Honor with Irv Mauran at the helm won the O’Connor GMC Pine Tree Pacing Series Championship last Saturday at Scarborough Downs. … Scarborough Downs handled $175,000. Rick Simonds of the Maine Harness Racing Promotion Board said, “The largest crowd in several years” turned out for the race. … The 2-year-old Breeders’ Finals were held last Sunday at Scarborough Downs. Driver Chris Long suffered a badly sprained ankle when he was knocked off his bike in the pacing fillies race, which was won by Fire When Ready. Other winners included Hi There Lady with Don Richards in the seat in the trotting division and Didgeridoo, driven by Mike Graffam, in the pacing colts and geldings division. … Racing is at the Farmington Fair this week before moving on the Cumberland Fair on Sept. 23.