A panel of the Virginia House General Laws Committee Recently voted 6-1 to advance a bill sponsored by state Senator Lashrecse Aird that would allow a voter referendum on a casino in Petersburg. That city would become Virginia’s fifth authorized casino-host city, replacing Richmond where voters rejected a casino twice.
Aird’s bill includes a re-enactment clause, meaning it would have to be approved by the legislature a second time, “at a subsequent regular or special session,” according to language added to the bill. That could take place during any specially called session, which could be held before the end of the year. However, for a referendum to occur this November, enough time would have to be allowed for the ballot draft process.
The full House of Delegates could vote on the re-enactment clause next week, sending it to the Senate, then on to Governor Glenn Youngkin. His spokesman said there are no guarantees on any legislation that reaches the governor’s desk, but he is expected to sign the referendum into law.
Elsewhere in Virginia, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, a strong advocate for a casino in Tysons, told the audience at the annual district meeting of Supervisor Dan Storck, “Commercial office buildings in this county are selling at a third of the price they did five years ago. We have a big commercial property tax crunch in this county, which is why one of the things you heard about was a Fairfax casino this year in Tysons.”
Surovell noted the MGM National Harbor Casino in Maryland annually produces “over a billion dollars a year in table game revenue. When we studied this five years ago in Fairfax, they said the most valuable casino opportunity in Virginia is in Tysons, and that’s one of the reasons I supported that casino and Tysons would save everybody in this room about $500 a year in property taxes, because the revenue was generated off of tourists, not for people out of the state and people coming to visit.”
Surovell was referring to a report released in 2019 by the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission which studied the impact of licensing casinos in five economically challenged areas in the state. It did not specifically mention Tysons but indicated a northern Virginia casino would generate $155 million in annual tax revenue and create 3,200 jobs.
Last September, Patch announced Reston Station-based developer Comstock Holding Companies wanted to build a casino on the Silver Line outside of the Capital Beltway in Fairfax County. The company created its own political action committee which contributed more than $1.2 million to the local and state candidates’ campaigns.
State Senator Dave Marsden introduced bills in 2023 and 2024 that would allow the county board of supervisors to place a casino referendum on the ballot; it has been held over in committee until the 2025 session.
Marsden suggested an abandoned car lot near the Spring Hill Metro station as the proposed casino site. The lot is located next to the View development, owned by Tysons Development LLC, a partnership between Saudi Arabian businessman Khaled Juffali and the Clemente Development Company, founded by the father of Comstock Chief Executive Officer Christopher Clemente.
At a recent conference hosted by digital media company Bisnow, Comstock Chief Operating Officer Tim Steffan was asked how Fairfax County leaders could enhance the development process and ensure they “don’t kill the golden goose.”
Steffan said, “I think they should be open-minded as it relates to revenue sources, given the tremendous hit they’re taking in the commercial office space. If they don’t come up with alternative revenue sources outside of doubling the taxes on our houses, the golden goose is going to be in trouble.”
But a group of Fairfax County residents have formed the No Casino Coalition to protest a Tysons location. Reston resident Denis Hayes told county leaders, “We look to our elected officials to protect us from special interests who believe money can overpower common sense. We look to you to stop downstate officials from dictating what is best for Fairfax. We look to you to send a message that Fairfax is not for sale.”
Other citizens have expressed concerns that a casino would increase traffic in an already congested area; negatively affect the three schools located near the proposed casino site; and drive away businesses that have helped make Tyson a thriving community.
