In Louisiana, the Tangipahoa Parish council voted 6-3 to allow a referendum to be added to the November 6 ballot on Peninsula Pacific’s plan to open a $100 million casino in Hammond. The Los Angeles-based company wants to move the gambling license it already holds for DiamondJacks Casino & Hotel in Bossier City, which would require legislative and voter approval.
Peninsula Pacific Chief Executive Officer Brent Stevens said, “Since beginning this process, we have wanted the citizens of Tangipahoa to remain actively engaged and ultimately approve of this economic development opportunity before we move forward. Today’s overwhelming majority vote is another step in giving the people a voice in this decision, and we look forward to working with them and providing all the information they need to make an informed final decision.”
Peninsula Pacific Partner Jonathan Swain said if the legislature passes the bill allowing the move, and Tangipahoa Parish voters also approve, the casino could open in spring 2020. The company wants to move casino operations to Hammond since the Bossier City market has been hit hard the last few years from increasing competition in the region and from Native American casinos in Texas.
Peninsula Pacific representatives recently held a meeting with officials and community members in Hammond to share details about the proposed casino. Stevens said, “We want to bring the casino to a place where we can recapture some of the migration that is going to Mississippi. We think we can get 40 percent of those dollars back, and as a result Tangipahoa Parish gets $22 million in the first five years.”
Stevens said Peninsula Pacific would invest $100 million in the Tangipahoa Parish facility, and that it would create 500 permanent jobs, each averaging $35,000 in annual salary and benefits.
The proposed venue would include a 27,000 square foot gaming floor with 800 slot machines and 25 table games. Stevens said the property would offer one 200-room hotel at first, but he’s seeking other developers to build two more hotels there. The Tangipahoa Parish resort also would offer an indoor and outdoor event center, farmer’s market buffet, oyster bar, upscale dining and a bass fishing tournament dock.
Some of the attendees expressed concerns over drainage, traffic and crime. In response, company officials said the casino would add about 3,800 cars to the roughly 12,000 cars that go through the nearby intersection but they would generally not be traveling during peak commuting times. In addition, they stated they will have a drainage plan for a 200-year flood using two retention ponds to keep runoff on site, and noted they have applied to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a permit.
Parish President Robby Miller has expressed his support for the proposed casino, and so have the mayors of the eight towns and villages in Tangipahoa Parish. In a letter to Peninsula Pacific, the mayors wrote, “To date, Peninsula Pacific has proven itself to be a positive, engaged community partner. Local elected leaders, we ask you to allow our citizens to have the right to vote on this important issue.”
Meanwhile Peninsula Pacific officials are waiting to see if the legislature will pass Senate Bill 316, which would allow Louisiana’s 15 riverboat casinos to move onto land within 1,200 feet of their current berth site. The measure also would replace the cap of 30,000 square feet on gambling space with a limit of 2,365 gambling positions. State Senator Bodi White, sponsor of Senate Bill 417, which would allow the Tangipahoa Parish casino, promised he would not push his bill until SB316 is voted on first.
Stevens noted, “There is a very active group of people trying to prevent this legislation from happening that have interests in Mississippi.” The Tangipahoa Parish casino also is opposed by Boyd Gaming, which operates a casino in Kenner, and by truck-stop casinos in St. Helena Parish.
In addition, the Louisiana Senate Black Caucus temporarily stalled the legislation to send a signal to state Senator Ronnie Johns, sponsor of the casino legislation, who had voted against a bill to raise Louisiana’s minimum wage. The Black Caucus legislators also raised concerns that casinos do not do enough business with minority owned firms. Johns said he and the Caucus members have had productive dialogue recently. “I think in the long run the Senate will see the wisdom of what we are trying to do and I feel good about our chances of passing this,” Johns said.
Stevens said if the legislation allowing casinos to move onto land ultimately fails, Peninsula Pacific will float the casino on a moat filled with water from the Tangipahoa River to meet state law requirements.
