In a virtual meeting involving City of Richmond officials and citizens, a pressing query emerged: What is the intended location for the new Richmond casino?
Richmond officials conducted the most recent community meeting on Tuesday in anticipation of a potential casino resort.
In the upcoming November election, voters will have the opportunity to vote on the casino referendum. Following the legalization of casino gambling and sports betting by the Virginia General Assembly in 2020, four other cities in Virginia overwhelmingly supported the establishment of casinos.
Is Richmond going to become a part of the rest of the Virginia casinos? We discovered in the meeting held on Tuesday that the citizens have numerous concerns, with the primary one being the possible location of the Richmond casino and its impact on the daily life of the capital city of Virginia.
City of Richmond timeline for casino
Tuesday’s meeting was hosted by Leonard Sledge and Maritza Mercado Pechin, officials from the City of Richmond. The city has planned several of these “public engagement opportunities,” with three more scheduled for next week.
During the recent 90-minute session, the city showcased the notable moments from the Request for Qualifications/Proposals (RFQ/P) received for the casino project. The hopeful contenders submitted their proposals before the Feb. 22 cutoff. Among the six competing groups for the casino project are veteran gaming experts.
- Bally’s Corporation’s latest venture, the Bally Richmond Casino Resort, is valued at an impressive $650 million.
- The Cordish Co. presents an impressive $600 million establishment, Live! Casino & Hotel Richmond.
- Golden Nugget Hotels & Casinos presents the impressive $400 million Golden Nugget Richmond Hotel & Casino.
- The Pamunkey Indian Tribe is investing $350 million in the development of the Pamunkey Casino Resort in Richmond.
- Urban One and Colonial Downs have partnered to develop a casino-resort project, with an estimated value of $517 million. The name for the project is yet to be announced.
- Wind Creek Hospitality has invested a substantial amount of $541 million in the development of Wind Creek Richmond.
Next on the agenda, a panel of nine evaluators will examine the proposals. Among the panel members are Ellen Robertson and Andreas Addison, both of whom serve on the Richmond City Council, as well as other local officials. The panel has sought the expertise of Convergence Strategy Group for consultation.
The panel has a main focus on attentively considering the feedback from citizens, which has been abundant, particularly regarding the location of the potential casino and its impact on the surrounding neighborhoods.
Residents’ primary concern? Location, location, location
The proposed Richmond casino encourages citizens to share their questions, concerns, and comments. Utilizing the Konveio outreach and feedback system, individuals have the opportunity to provide feedback on any of the three boards.
- Community benefits
- Mitigation
- Revenue uses
During Tuesday’s meeting, Pechin, the manager of the Office of Equitable Development for the City of Richmond, discussed various comments.
She stated that there have been a total of 241 comments posted, with a significant number of them focusing on specific locations. Many of these comments express opposition towards having a resort-casino or dissatisfaction with certain aspects.
A few individuals are contemplating the potential impact of sites on the environment. Additionally, there are worries regarding traffic and safety.
A total of 241 comments were received, out of which 75 specifically addressed the potential casino location. Numerous residents, who may be affected by the construction, traffic disturbances, and increased number of visitors, have expressed their apprehensions.
What residents are saying about Richmond casino
Here are some selected comments from the casino feedback boards of the City of Richmond:
I reside in Westlake Hills and I wish to express my apprehensions regarding the casino proposals. Should the south side location be chosen, it would be a literal sight from my bedroom window. The potential consequences on our property value and the negative impact it would have on the overall neighborhood are unimaginable. It appears unjust to burden a part of the city that already faces lower property values.
“… Priority should be given to sites that are willing to construct garages instead of large surface parking lots, with a preference for non-greenfield developments. The Powhite/Chippenham sites are considered undesirable due to their current wetland status, and one of them appears to have an excessive amount of parking.”
I strongly disagree with the location of Wind Creek! Caritas has recently made significant investments in our community, including new housing, job opportunities, and rehabilitation programs for its members. If Wind Creek is established in Caritas’ vicinity, it would be seen as a drawback in my opinion.
According to the Department of Economic Development for the City of Richmond’s director, Sledge, the panel is giving careful consideration to the feedback.
He said that the evaluation panel is considering the feedback and thoroughly reviewing the proposals as part of their due diligence.
Richmond casino site locations
By visiting the provided link to the RVA website, you will have access to a map displaying the various locations that have the potential to serve as casino hosts.
They include:
- Bally’s Corporation has acquired a vast 61-acre property situated at the junction of Chippenham Parkway and Powhite Parkway.
- The Cordish Cos. can be found at the intersection of North Arthur Ashe Boulevard and West Leigh Street.
- Bally’s Corporation is equivalent to Golden Nugget Hotels & Casinos.
- The Pamunkey Indian Tribe owns an undeveloped site located on South Commerce Drive, diagonally across from the proposed Urban One site.
- The former Altria Operations Center site on South Commerce Road is now being developed by Urban One and Colonial Downs.
- The location of Wind Creek Hospitality can be found at the intersection of East Commerce Road and Ingram Avenue.
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