David LeVan, the former Conrail, Inc. chairman and owner of a Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Harley-Davidson dealership, is once again attempting to bring casino gaming to the historic town.
LeVan has submitted two applications for a license to open a casino in Gettysburg, both only a few miles from Gettysburg National Military Park, the site of the pivotal battle of the American Civil War. Both times, the proposals created sharp divisions in the local citizenry, some wanting jobs and others vehemently opposed to placing a casino near the sacred ground of the Gettysburg battlefield.
Both applications were denied by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Last week, LeVan announced that he is making a third try to bring gaming to Gettysburg. He is targeting the final Category 1 racino gaming license, denied last year to Philadelphia-based Endeka Entertainment for a Lawrence County racino. LeVan said he will apply for a harness racing license and that casino license for a 700-acre site just east of where U.S. Route 15 crosses the Maryland-Pennsylvania line.
The site is around three miles from the historic battlefield and national park. It is two and a half miles from the Eisenhower Hotel and Conference Center, the site of his last failed casino attempt. The racino would be called Mason-Dixon Downs. “I think it would be tremendous,” LeVan told local TV station ABC27. “The economic impact, the jobs impact—it would be absolutely phenomenal.”
In the TV interview, LeVan responded to critics of a casino near the battlefield by pointing to current Pennsylvania casinos that are much closer to historic sites—including Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Valley Forge National Park and Fort Necessity National Battlefield. He noted that casinos have promoted those historical sites, attracted more visitors and created jobs.
