Ground recently was broken at the Rose Gaming Resort in Dumfries, Virginia, owned by Colonial Downs Inc. which also owns the local Rosie’s Gaming Emporium. The $400 million venue will be the first Vegas-style casino in Northern Virginia, and feature a 50,000-square-foot gaming floor with 1,100 electronic gaming machines, but no table games or sportsbook. A luxury hotel, eight bars and restaurants, event and meeting space, theater and 80-acre park also are planned.
The project is estimated to generate $59 million in annual tax revenue and create more than 600 jobs.
The first phase of the venue will open in late 2023. The second phase will be completed by 2026, according to Aaron Gomes, chief operating officer at Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, the operating company.
Dumfries Mayor Derrick Wood said casino tax revenue will triple the budget of the city, which has a population of less than 5,700 citizens. “Most of the time people have to travel north to eat or to be entertained. It can take a large number of people off of I-95 headed to D.C. and keep people right here,” Wood said.
He added several road improvements are planned to prevent bottlenecks and excessive traffic, including expanding Route 1 to six lanes.
