Danville officials plan to create a separate zoning district for the casino Caesars Entertainment plans to build in the Virginia city.
“I don’t think we have zoning categories right now that it would fit in,” said Harold Garrison, chairman of the Danville Planning Commission, which voted 7-0 last week to establish special zoning for the 78-acre former factory site, Dan River Inc. Schoolfield, as it’s known, where the casino will be located.
“It needs to be a separate zoning district so everyone will understand exactly what is being allowed and not being allowed,” Garrison said.
Plans for Caesars Virginia include a 300-room hotel, a 2,500-seat live entertainment venue, 35,000 square feet of conventions and meetings space, a pool and spa, restaurants and bars and a casino with 2,000 slot machines, 75 table games, 16 poker tables and a sportsbook.
The zoning district would apply only to the casino development site and will address buildings, open spaces, parking, on- and off-site signs, entrances, landscaping, lighting and buffers.
“It’s just a very unique development in the community,” Planning Director Doug Plachcinski said.
The commission is slate to vote on the text of the zoning on April 12 and then send it on to City Council for approval.
The capital city of Richmond also plans to license a casino and has received proposals from six entities: Golden Nugget, Bally’s, Cordish, Urban One and the Wind Creek and Pamunkey Indian tribes.
Meanwhile, Caesars Entertainment last week announced that it has retained Marnell Companies to design and build its $400 million development at the former Dan River site in Danville.
Marnell is known for designing casinos and Las Vegas attractions, most notably the Bellagio in Las Vegas. According to news station WSLS, Caesars plans to break ground on the entertainment complex later this year with an estimated completion date of 2023.
Danville voters signed off on the casino plan in November 2020. According to Danville City Manager Ken Larking, “We feel like the ball is moving in the right direction. Every step of the way is exciting, because it gets us closer to getting the resort up and running.”
