Casino Advocates in Richmond Reveal Updated Plan
The team behind a planned casino in Richmond, VA, recently presented updated designs and information about the project.
Now known as the Richmond Grand Resort and Casino, the $562 million development would incorporate a luxurious hotel and spa, as well as an entertainment venue and community park. The casino would house table games, poker, slots, and an on-site sportsbook.
Richmond residents will decide in November whether to endorse this endeavor. City officials are advocating for a second ballot measure following a failed 2021 attempt, when a casino referendum was defeated by a two-point margin.
The project's supporters maintain that it would generate 1,300 jobs and yield $30 million in revenue for the city. It will be devoid of any taxpayer funding.
Richmond Grand is a joint venture between Urban One, Inc., a Maryland-based, Black-owned entertainment enterprise, and Churchill Downs, Inc., the Louisville-based company that organizes the annual Kentucky Derby. The casino plan is based on input gathered "from hundreds of conversations with Richmonders," the developers announced.
"This is a plan by Richmond, for Richmond, and when we vote yes, all of Richmond benefits," Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins, III, stated.
If accepted, the new facility would be erected in southern Richmond, near an I-95 stretch and a Philip Morris manufacturing complex.
Richmond is the final of five Virginia cities permitted to hold a casino referendum since the state legislature bypassed the ban on commercial casinos several years ago. Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, and Portsmouth are the other four cities authorized to construct a casino each, provided voters support the measure.
Campaign gets started
The casino referendum will appear as Question 1 on Richmond's voter ballots this fall. The earlier vote featured a gubernatorial race, resulting in a potentially higher turnout; this November, however, there's no gubernatorial election slated, making the overall turnout less certain.
In June, Richmond's city council agreed to renew the casino proposal to the voters, and it has since navigated legal hurdles.
Last week, a judge backed Richmond against a local nonprofit that sought to hinder the casino referendum, partly over fears that it might jeopardize charitable gaming operations. An appeal might transpire, but ultimately, the decision is in the hands of the voters. The Richmond TV station also disclosed that the state budget will not impede the casino vote.
The pro-casino campaign is being managed by Tierra Ward, a local resident who previously worked as the state's elections director for the Democratic Party.
In 2021, casino backers expended approximately $2.5 million in support of the ballot item, as per campaign financial reports for their political committee. The group has not submitted updated campaign finance reports for this year.
Resistance Intensifies
Anti-casino forces are led by Paul Goldman, a Richmond attorney, who recently launched his own political committee, "No Means No Casino," partly funded by the Ukrop family, who were proprietors of a successful local chain of grocery stores.
On Tuesday, Goldman filed a lawsuit against the state Board of Elections, claiming that he is being denied voter data necessary to lead the opposition campaign.
The 2021 referendum was defeated by a 51%-49% margin.
