North Carolina state Senator Eric Nelson said he’ll introduce a bill in the 2022 session allowing casinos to operate second satellite locations in their home counties.
At stake is the future of a former Macy’s store in the Charleston Town Center mall. Nelson said, “Why not put out an option that would allow for a gambling destination in downtown Charleston? It would provide an opportunity to put something in the mall.”
The Charleston Urban Renewal Authority owns the property, which has been vacant since 2019. Locating a casino there would require a change in state law. In 2019, the Senate Finance Committee rejected legislation in an 8-7 vote that would have allowed casino operators to have a second location.
Nelson introduced a version of the bill in the House. He said, “Not only did I introduce and was heavily in favor of the bill, but I will be introducing the same legislation in the Senate next session, especially with everything that’s been expanded at the Civic Center,” referring to $110 million spent on the facility just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March 2020.
Charleston Urban Renewal Authority Executive Director Ron Butlin said, “Nobody has contacted us about a casino. But a casino could make some sense. It’s not a horrible idea. It’s a big space, right next to the Civic Center.”
To locate a casino at the former Macy’s, Nelson said legislation would have to pass; a casino would have to commit to converting the former store; and the casino and the tenant would have to negotiate an agreement. Nelson said the authority owns the building but it could be leased to a third-party manager.
