City One Continues Public Assembly Collection on Richmond On line casino
City One and Churchill Downs — the partnership that’s looking for voter assist in Richmond, Va., to construct an built-in on line casino resort within the capital metropolis’s Southside — will meet with the general public once more to handle issues and tout the potential financial advantages such a mission would allegedly ship.
Richmond voters will once more weigh in on a proposed on line casino resort within the Virginia capital throughout this November’s election. City One and Churchill Downs wish to construct a on line casino on the town’s Southside. (Picture: NPR)
City One gained a aggressive bidding course of in 2021 to be deemed Richmond’s most popular on line casino developer. Virginia lawmakers approved a on line casino resort within the capital via laws handed in 2020 and signed into legislation by then-Gov. Ralph Northam (D).
City One is a Black-focused media conglomerate. Regardless of having no expertise constructing or working a on line casino, resort, or perhaps a lodge, the Richmond Metropolis Council picked City One over respected gaming operators that additionally offered bids, together with Bally’s, Golden Nugget, and The Cordish Corporations.
City One sought to ease issues about its lack of gaming and hospitality expertise by partnering with Peninsula Pacific Leisure, an skilled on line casino agency, for its 2021 pitch. Richmonders narrowly rejected the on line casino plan referred to as One On line casino + Resort by a 51-49% vote.
Unfazed by a lot public opposition and allegations that it’s going in opposition to the democratic course of, the Richmond Metropolis Council moved ahead with a decision that initiates a second gaming referendum. This November, Richmond voters will once more be requested to approve a industrial on line casino.
New Venture, New Marketing campaign
City One is partnered with Churchill Downs for its second on line casino combat. Final yr, Churchill Downs acquired most of Peninsula Pacific, together with its Richmond on line casino improvement alternative within the joint entity RVA Leisure Holdings, LLC.
RVA Leisure, now managed by City One and Churchill, has reworked its on line casino pitch with a brand new identification referred to as the Richmond Grand Resort & On line casino. The $562 million proposal would deliver a sprawling gaming resort to Richmond’s Southside, adjoining to the Philip Morris headquarters alongside I-95.
In an effort to tilt the vote its approach, representatives from City One and Churchill Downs are canvassing the capital metro space. They’re additionally taking questions throughout public conferences, the primary of which occurred on September 28. One other public convergence is about for Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. at 1731 Wall Road. The assembly is being held on the Royal Manchester Occasion Middle.
The Richmond Grand Resort & On line casino blueprint features a on line casino, a 250-room lodge, and typical resort-style facilities like quite a few eating places and bars, a spa, a health heart, an outside pool complicated, and conference and assembly area.
Atypical elements embrace a 55-acre park with bike paths, strolling trails, pickleball courts, and services for neighborhood occasions, sports activities, and household actions. The vacation spot would additionally embrace music venues and movie and manufacturing areas.
Prompting Advantages
RVA Leisure officers say if Richmond voters again the on line casino mission, the Virginia capital metro and its residents could be the actual winners. The event agency pledges to create 1,300 good-paying union jobs with a median annual compensation of greater than $55K in pay and advantages.
The on line casino would even be anticipated to generate about $30 million yearly in native tax income that RVA says may assist construct a stronger, safer metropolis.
“Richmond Grand Resort & On line casino is a mission by Richmond, for Richmond,” the on line casino’s web site reads. “We’re proud to share our imaginative and prescient for this mission and consider in offering clear and correct solutions to the questions you will have earlier than voting.”
