Protests against proposed Bally’s casino in Virginia
A new casino proposed for Richmond, Virginia, faces opposition from residents.
US.- Despite efforts from Bally’s to show the benefits of a new casino for Richmond, Virginia, dozens of residents protested in the street yesterday against the proposed 61-acre casino resort near Powhite Parkway and Chippenham Parkway.
Those opposed claim the casino would cause noise and disturb a quiet area.
Jeanne Walls, a neighbour who has been living in Stratford Hills for 40 years told NBC: “We will be looking at a 20-story hotel with nothing but lights and noise 24/7“.
Another resident, Jason Haase, said he was worried the casino would disturb wildlife.
“There’s a regular wildlife corridor that goes down through there and lots of different species that live back there,” he said.
In a statement to NBC12, Michael Monty, senior project manager for Bally’s Richmond, said the company had conducted thorough environmental studies and is dedicated to “preserving and enhancing the natural beauty of our site, including any wildlife and wetlands.”
Bally’s campaign to drum up support for Richmond casino
A month ago, Bally’s Corporation launched a campaign in the hope of generating support for a casino project in Richmond, Virginia.
The “Bally’s for RVA” campaign aims to demonstrate how its proposed casino could contribute to the city by creating 4,300 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent positions, and attracting 3.7m visitors a year to Richmond.
The operator also plugged the $100m upfront payment it will make to the city as well as the $5.3bn the site is projected to generate over 10 years.
The campaign will mention that certain locally renowned figures will hold interests in the business.
The City of Richmond is expected to decide between several proposals for its potential casino in June in order to put its choice to a public referendum in November.
