Penn National Gaming wants to build a horse racing track with video slots at the old Delphi site on Needmore Road in Dayton. The company would close its race track in Columbus and move another track from Toledo to Youngstown.

Penn National will take its plan before the Ohio Racing Commission Thursday. Company representatives and local elected officials have scheduled a news conference for 3 p.m.Thursday.

"It would mean a wonderful influx of business," said Eddie Holbrook of nearby Paradise Key Cafe. "We've done a lot since GM went out of business. This would be a blessing."

The Dayton race track would create 1,000 temporary construction jobs, 1,500 permanent positions and represent a $200 millon investment.

"It would be a job for a lot of people," Dayton resident John Kreusch said. "It would help a bunch and anything would help right now."

The construction is contingent on the State of Ohio approving the installation of video slots at racetracks.

"It's going to be 1,500 jobs and we need this so badly in this area," Montgomery County Commissioner Judy Dodge said. "So this is what we're excited about."