Virginia casino proposal changes location

A potential casino in Portsmouth, Virginia, has moved from a potential waterfront location to an inland lot by an interstate highway.

US.- A new Virginia casino could’ve been developed by Elizabeth River, but has now moved further inland. In a City Council work session, the city’s economic development director Robert Moore recommended the new location. He suggested to locate it in the entertainment district at the convergence of I-264 and Victory Blvd.

“This is a superior site with direct access off the interstate and 50 acres,” said Moore. “The city wants more than just a casino.”

Mayor John Rowe favoured the proposal: “That’s a very good use for that site. It’s a better location for a casino. It makes it part of a larger development. I think it’s the kind of thing that gives you goosebumps when you think about the location.”

Casino lobbyist

Danville City Manager Ken Larking has revealed that the city is interested in hiring a casino lobbyist in order to work with lawmakers in Richmond to reach the best deal if lawmakers decide to allow casinos in Virginia.

“Some of the things I believe (City Council members want) is, they want to see a minimum investment. They don’t want to see some small investment come in and have a small casino. They want to see a significant impact,” Larking said, as reported by wsls.com. “That number hasn’t really been decided, but it needs to be a significant investment.”

There is currently a bill in Virginia going through the General Assembly that would allow lawmakers to conduct a casino impact study later this year. They would decide in 2020 if they are in favour of allowing voters in Danville, Bristol and Portsmouth to decide if they want their cities to host a casino.