Caesars Entertainment recently revealed plans for its $500 million casino resort, Caesars Virginia, in Danville. Ground is expected to be broken by the end of the year with an anticipated opening in late 2023.
Caesars Entertainment President and Chief Operating Officer Anthony Carano said, “Caesars Virginia will be an economic driver for the region, both as a tourist and entertainment draw and through the more than 1,000 good-paying jobs the resort will create. The people of Danville have entrusted us to build a world-class resort, and we look forward to proving that trust was well founded with an incredible resort worthy of the iconic Caesars brand.”
Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones added, “Over the course of the last two years, myself, city council and staff have taken great care to develop plans, alongside residents and Caesars Entertainment, to create a resort that will positively impact the community through new tax revenue, jobs, partnership opportunities with local businesses and tourism dollars. We are confident that Caesars Virginia will honor the old Dan River Mills’ Schoolfield site and become a pillar of pride for Danville and its people.”
Plans for Caesars Virginia include a gaming floor with more than 1,400 slots and table games, 18-story, 500-room hotel, Caesars Sportsbook, spa, pool and fitness center, the 25-table World Series of Poker live poker room, 40,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, 2,500-seat entertainment venue, a celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay restaurant and a 4-story parking garage.
Officials said the project will create 900 construction jobs and 1,300 permanent jobs.
The three 220-foot brick smokestacks, known as the Three Sisters, remaining from the original Dan Rivers plant have been preserved, said Dave Howryla, president of architecture at architects Marnell Companies. “The Three Sisters are the best element on the site, and everything is based on them. They will be cleaned up and they will be the focal point,” he said.
In a referendum in 2020, Danville voters overwhelmingly voted to allow casino gambling in five cities. Voters also passed referendums in Bristol, partnering with Hard Rock International; Portsmouth, partnering with Rush Street Gaming; and Norfolk, partnering with the Pamunkey Indian Tribe. A referendum has yet to be held in Richmond.
