The city government of Richmond, Virginia cut in half the number of proposals for a casino in the city. Three casino projects are still in the running: Bally’s Richmond Casino Resort; Live! Casino & Hotel Richmond, operated by the Cordish Companies; and One Casino + Resort, a partnership between Peninsula Pacific and a local Virginia company.
Eliminated were proposals from Golden Nugget, Wind Creek Hospitality, and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe of Virginia.
The Pamunkeys didn’t take it well.
“The Pamunkey Indian Tribe was extremely disappointed to learn directly from the city of Richmond that its casino proposal would not receive any further consideration in the Richmond casino selection process,” Pamunkey Indian Tribe Chief Robert Gray said in a statement.
“The timing of the decision, which comes before the public comment-period has even concluded, seriously undermines confidence in the selection process and suggests a predetermined outcome has been reached. The timing of this decision also suggests that public and community input will not be seriously considered in this process.
“Further, it appears that the city of Richmond did not afford the Pamunkey Indian Tribe the optional preference in state law that recognizes the Pamunkey Tribe’s ancestral heritage in the region. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe submitted the only 100 percent minority-owned, Virginia-based proposal.
“We were shocked to learn of our early dismissal from a process occurring in our native region and state, particularly in light of the fact that the tribe was one of the first entities—if not the first—to talk to the city about gaming before commercial gaming was legalized in the Commonwealth.”
The $350 million project had already been moved once due to community opposition and was the lowest investment of any of the six bidders.
Of the remaining proposals, Bally’s brings the most to the table financially. The company proposes a $650 million casino resort with an upfront $100 million payment to the city. The casino would be located on a 67-acre plot at the intersection of the Powhite and Chippenham Parkways. The company has the endorsement of several community organizations and promises an aggressive minority hiring program.
Cordish is proposing a $600 million “Live” casino on a 17-acre site that once held a drive-in theater. Former NFL star Bruce Smith is a partner in the project.
One Casino would be owned by Urban One, a Washington D.C. media company that owns radio stations in the Richmond area. Operating the casino would be Peninsula Pacific, which already has deep roots in Virginia gaming as the owner of Colonial Downs racetrack and several Rosie’s gaming halls, which host hundreds of historic horse racing machines. Urban One says the facility would be the largest casino owned by a majority black-owned business. The facility would be located on land currently owned by Philip Morris USA at Commerce Road and Walmsley Boulevard.
In addition to the Pamunkey project, losers include Golden Nugget, which had proposed a $400 million casino, and Wind Creek, with a $541 million project. Both of those proposals were submitted later in the process, which may have been a factor in the denial.
