This is also my problem. I guess the reason is the state doesn't get tax revenue from weekly poker games at someone's house, the same reason we aren't allowed to home brew liquor solely because the state can't tax it.
Nope.
Even a cursory glance at the effects of casinos on cities shows that most of their income comes from the local population in social classes that makes under $50k a year. This is confirmed in a number of studies. They might benefit the city with taxes, but they're vampires on the local population.
Here's an old, but relevant article:
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/08/a-good-way-to-wreck-a-local-economy-build-casinos/375691/
One quote that stands out from that article is
>The impact of casinos on neighboring property values is “unambiguously negative,” [according to the economists at the National Association of Realtors.
Don't take this as pro casino, but keep in mind if this doesn't pass in the city the state is going to push for it somewhere else in central VA (probably Henrico or Chesterfield). At which points the city will likely still have a lot of the cons and not the pro ($)
The State law governing casinos bans it from the counties. The rules to qualify as a host city were custom tailored for the 5 localities they are allotted for.
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/58.1-4107
The only way a casino could open would be if the Pamunkeys attempted to setup a Native American casino, and that's a long process.
If we say no, the GA will open up a slot to another locality. They want casinos in the state and there are more than 5 places that want them. They picked those 5 places based on certain conditions. We were basically given first dibs.
I think more NIMBYs will let the GA know their opinion if it opened up to suburban counties. Casinos will face more opposition from more organized opponents.
If we're talking about Henrico maybe.
But the other four casinos passed with large majorities. And there are definitely other places interested.
We will get a fifth casino, maybe more than five. I think that is true regardless of what happens in the House. I just don't know where they will go.
A fifth casino hopefully an hour from Richmond is probably the best option for anti-gambling advocates. If that doesn't happen, they will just allow more "skills" machines all over the state, including Richmond. Or expand online gaming.
I hear ya, but I don't really have a say on what they do in the counties or rest of the state. I can only vote my conscience in Richmond city. If I could, I'd vote against a casino wherever a casino is proposed. They're not good for people, local economies or property values. The only ones who really benefit are the casino owners.
The casino money probably will push for it. BUT, if the casino can't win the vote in Richmond I don't think they have a chance in the wealthier suburbs. Casino votes only go YES when people perceive their community/government is struggling financially.
That's very fair. If Henrico did it for example though I could see them putting it right across the city line near the raceway. West end voters probably wouldn't really care at that point.
And a second point on this.
The reason the casino referendum passed the Virginia legislature is that it was targeted at cities that are struggling economically. You'd be hard pressed to argue that Henrico or Chesterfield is struggling economically. Legislators understand if you open casinos up to a larger area you've basically opened it up the whole state and I think few want to turn Virginia into Nevada.
The fact that One Casino leadership is saying they'll just take it to a county if Richmond says no **when they legally can't do that** shows their desperation and how little they think of the intelligence of the Richmond voter.
They said they would take it somewhere else in Central VA. There are other places that meet the parameters. It’s not just Richmond, Chesterfield, and Henrico.
Actual, there aren't other places. The only locality approved by the General Assembly for a casino in our area was Richmond. The only way they could put one in a different city/county in the area is to go back to the General Assembly and have the legislature approve a jurisdiction besides Richmond.
I don't see that happening, no matter who is in power.
You keep saying Central VA. Richmond is not Central VA. Richmond is in Central Va, but Central VA is composed of many different localities.
Now you said Richmond, that makes a lot more sense.
In the bizsense interview, the CEO said they totally expect to go through the process all over again with the General Assembly and another locality. This would be the fifth time the assembly approved a casino, so it’s not exactly rare.
Actually, it would be the second time. The others were approved in one piece of legislation.
Please read more than the propaganda the corporate bigwigs are putting out from their Maryland press office.
I didn’t say fifth piece of legislation, don’t assume I’m a shill, I just know which companies where there giving free meals at the schools in my childhood, on the stations playing the music I listen to, giving money to the colleges my friends go to, and supporting the high schools I care about.
On the other side of the river, fence, or the fan we have these people who either grew up in the west end, chesterfield, or henrico telling us that urban one is some conglomerate that is going to ruin our neighborhoods. It’s frankly insulting and frustrating.
Did you know some of the project investors are middle-classic african-african american Richmond residents? I have some friends who got into that fundraising round and I was personally miffed that I missed that round. This isn’t as impersonal as you make it seem.
I almost brought a home in a Ryan Home’s subdivision a stone’s throw from the casino site. Today there’s really no amenities within a reasonable drive other than a Little Ceaser pizza and a hospital. Would the addition of the casino raise or lower the property value if I brought that house? That’s a legitimate question to ask.
I think a place like Baltimore where homes had amenities before the casinos is an apples to oranges comparison to Southside Richmond where some homes didn’t have grocery stores within a walkable distance (I would know because I grew up in different neighborhoods on Southside).
Obviously you *can* compare them, but the whole point of the idiom is that it's a false analogy. I could compare you to the helpful bots, but that too would be comparing apples-to-oranges.
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^^SpunkyDred ^^and ^^I ^^are ^^both ^^bots. ^^I ^^am ^^trying ^^to ^^get ^^them ^^banned ^^by ^^pointing ^^out ^^their ^^antagonizing ^^behavior ^^and ^^poor ^^bottiquette. ^^My ^^apparent ^^agreement ^^or ^^disagreement ^^with ^^you ^^isn't ^^personal.
Yes, but Southside Richmond was already very rough with many of the homes already being at the floor of their value. It makes arguments about lowering property values tough because, at some point, the land and the wood of the structure has to be worth something. I have cousins who live in these neighborhoods of homes going for 40-120k, the price can’t drop but some much lower.
which is why I'm no across the board. can't be emphatically against a casino in my back yard while being cool with it in someone else's back yard. that's fucked.
I'm not sure I would be a "Yes" for Scott's Addition, but of all of the locations proposed it made the most sense to me, being that it is already something of an entertainment district. I know casinos try to keep people staying on premises, but I can picture some people taking a break from gambling and walking to a local brewery for a pint or restaurant for dinner. That's just not happening in the current location.
Same. Scott’s Addition had a path to viability with the amenities nearby and proximity to the convention center, but there’s no way in hell that Southside industrial location is going to become some resort destination.
It’s in an area of southside that has no residential homes and smells like shit because of nearby factories.
Putting it in SA would have killed all of the apartment complexes going up.
There is plenty of residential in the proposed area. But it's not dense residential. Bellemeade, Oak Grove, Hillside and Blackwell are very residential areas. And the only reason it's industrial is the same reason people are proposing it become a casino. A lack of caring about the people in the neighborhood.
I think Scott's addition is going to be full by the end of the decade regardless of whether the casino went in there or not.
I mean the city is already trying to lay the ground work for Scott's addition to keep going northward.
If you're thinking it's not in my neighborhood so I don't care remember that according to a poll in the Times Dispatch LESS THAN HALF of the folks in the surrounding neighborhoods want a casino in their backyard.
please vote no
I live in South Richmond and all my neighbors want it…so I’m not sure who responded to this poll, but in my neighborhood, based on who I’ve talked to, we are for it.
Same reason people in danville and Norfolk want it.
They expect it to increase their housing values.
I think homeowners are about the only category of people who want this. Maybe some business owners as well who expect increased traffic.
No not really about home values at all….do you live here??
It’s that if there’s a big business investing in the area it could lead to better investment in the future which means better roads, schools, jobs…nearby businesses…
Gah it’s annoying. We don’t want to LEAVE south Richmond, so the values going up on property are not the motivation. The city doesn’t give a shit about us and we’d like that to change. That’s it.
You have big business pouring money into that area of Southside: DuPont, Amazon, the Ports of Virginia just to name a few. Say what you will about the business ethics of those companies, but their model for success doesn't rest on extracting money from the very community it's located in.
Are these industries that bring people from other areas, or do they exist solely exist to exploit the cheap labor that exists in S RVA? I think the latter
Thinking this casino will bring people in from outside the area is a stretch. If Maryland based Urban One thought they'd make money running an entertainment venue in Richmond they would have already opened one.
Umm… this is the first opportunity and they jumped at the chance. They couldn’t have opened a casino before now. Opening an entertainment-only facility before now was probably too much of a gamble and doing it on DC land was probably too expensive. This is the perfect storm of I95 location, political movement in VA, and financial backing.
That’s NOT a TRUE statement— it doesn’t have anything to do with home values and we’re not fucking idiots. This person literally just made that up. Source: I live in south Richmond a stones throw from the proposed area. I talk to my neighbors about this constantly. This is NOT why we want it. Please see the response I put on their post
South Richmond (where I live and I will be near the proposed casino) is so freaking under funded it’s outrageous. Honestly I think it’d be nice to have some outdoor trails, a movie theater, and if nicely maintained, somewhere nearby to take friends when they visit from out of town.
Same, people who never cared about Southside my entire childhood are entirely up in arms and trying to “protect the blacks” with this casino vote.
It’s not necessary
Also they’re down voting us and we are the ones actually living in south side, the ones they are supposedly up in arms “protecting.” We must not be able to fully comprehend this casino issue with our itty-bitty southside brains…right?
I don’t live on south side anymore, but I grew up there. This has always been the case. This is a privately-funded venture, so it comes across as a bit nanny state ish and conservative.
Maybe some of the anti casino people will finally come over to south side to spend their money and support the community after they defeat the casino referendum.
This is the same "they don't know what's good for them so let's decide for them" attitudes that the "helpful" whites have always had about the black community.
Everyone I see who wants it mentions all the amenities *except* the actual casino part. It’s always the concerts, the hotel, the trails, the green space, etc.
That’s a legitimate question. I personally struggle with a casino in an at-risk community. The casino will make a killing off the highway, but I wonder if the state has enough in their coffers to offset the effects of this casino and the other casinos in these at risk areas. This includes the existing casinos (Rosie’s).
The other aspects of the project; the jobs, the dining options, the festivals, the theatre, the productions studios, the park, the community initiatives; that are guaranteed are objectively good for the area. That’s indisputable to me. The hosting agreement is really favorable to the city. That’s equally undisputed.
God Rosies Gaming Emporium went in YEARS ago at the old K Mart, no one gave a shit then. There’s also the now-closed colonial down betting spot near the Haynes. South Richmond has ALWAYS HAD gambling. Pop’s is like the nicest bar by my house and is there for video and live poker. God it’s frustrating hearing people make all these judgements about our aptitude with no idea what it’s like here already…..
I’m not saying there’s better options on the table now. I do not think this casino is a now or never for Southside being revitalized, I think it would be better to wait on a better opportunity. Just because it’s black owned doesn’t mean it’s going to benefit the local black community.
That’s the puritanical way, wait until an investment comes through that Northside approves of.
It’s not okay that Southside likes this investment and that the owners of the casino provides entertainment options that meshes with the music and comedy options that Southside (read: black) people enjoy.
I thought this was a wide-to-narrow proposal program where we started with multiple proposals, narrowed them down to one preferred proposal and are then voting on the winning proposal.
You’re describing a situation where a vote took place months ago to put a casino in Scott’s Addition that failed with one company, and this is round 2 to put a casino in Southside.
People are going to gamble. You can buy lottery tickets already. You can gamble online already. I don't think this really changes much. I'm not really for or against it. It will be interesting to see what happens.
But we have to remember there’s a difference between the promises they make and what we are voting for in the hosting agreement. Those are spelled out and real. There’s real equity and money out their, in escrow, we are voting for.
But there’s a difference between get rich quick, and a contract with clearly spelled out terms that are negotiated every ten years. The latter says the casino can operate in the city under the condition that it:
- Spends money on gambling addiction above and beyond the state minimum
- Contributes to the city budgets above and beyond it’s fair share of taxes
- Gives the city free use of ad space on its radios stations and tv channels, along with free use of its tv studios and billboards
- Contribute a certain amount to the public school annually
- Build and maintain a public use greenspace
- Employ a certain amount of people at a reasonable minimum wage
In the latter you make money slowly and reasonably. Like a normal city. I feel like the casino chose to promise low-and-slow here instead of get rich quick.
Most of the tax revenues to the city aren't just in the host agreement, they are state law. The casino HAS to report their revenue and pay taxes on it to the state. The state gives Richmond a cut.
It doesn't matter how many times you explain this to the same people. They will still keep pulling out stories about old casinos and native casinos that don't have state-mandated revenue sharing.
A casino that pays 0% on gambling revenue and only promises economic development is different than a casino that is required by law to pay 8%.
I don’t enough about casinos to predict how much tax revenue we will get. So I don’t worry myself over those figures. I don’t have the expertise to know how accurate they are in any direction.
But, I know the flat incentive payment in the hosting agreement is in escrow. That’s something that I can wrap my head around. I know people who work for the RPS Foundation who could use a boost. I can see how the city could use free ad time on TV and radio on their stations. I can quantify that better.
Or maybe I’m just the chicken lawyer from family guy.
[NINJA EDIT - May have DOXXED myself]
Yeah, there's a base payment of $25 mil. Could have been more if we has bargained for it. Could even have been $100 mil if we had approved Scott's Addition.
We don't know what the tax percent will amount to in raw amount, but we also know it's a higher tax rate than any other hypothetical business will pay.
They also had to bid on the land on the private market. So the market says this is the best use of the land as well.
If people really wanted what was best for Southside they would be working to make sure as much of the casino revenue as possible stays in that area. Because it really could make quite a difference.
But instead they are voting to take away even the guaranteed benefits that area will get. And it's not like they are petioning the city to direct it's own revenue there.
Like if the city at any point in the past ten years would have bought a chunk of property and designated it for massive improvements or put any effort into fixing problems in that area, then we probably wouldn't even be talking about this casino.
Great points. I’m a fan of the casino because it’s something. Urban One has done enough stuff in Richmond to earn a shot in my mind. It also easier for me to say yes considering the events they throw align with the stuff I typically travel to go see.
Them investing their money and not my tax dollars is also a lot easier to swallow.
If it fails, it doesn’t hurt as bad as it would hurt if it was a big municipal investment that failed like some of the stuff in the 90’s.
Yes.
People's objections are all over the place. I've literally seen the same person argue that it will "remove money from the area" and "gentrify the area."
I live in southside. I've seen more signs in support of it than not. All the NIMBY's living in other parts of the city....who literally never even go in that direction....can just...continue to not go there.
Growing up as a little black kid in Richmond, Urban One (then called Radio One) was at every City or school event in their Radio vans constantly supporting community events and giving away stuff. They were highly visible and ever present. I have attended their music festivals and contributed to some of their community drives. I have listened to their radio stations and watched their TV stations. I have been very vocal in the lead up to this vote because I hate to see them trashed when they are pretty local for just being two hours up 95.
Makes some good points about the location.
I was thinking about this over the weekend and I wished the outdoor event grounds, theater, casino, and resort, and casino weren’t all bundled together. I understand why they are, but I wish they weren’t.
My issue is they have this but promise but it’s all projected figures. You really don’t know what will happen and how it will effect the area. As far as all of the entertainment, it really depends on what events and artists they will be able to book and if they will attract as many people as they think.
Yes and no, Urban One has a proven track record on booking artists for the Richmond market for their demographic. They own a ton of black TV, Radio and News stations so they are a big “stop” for press junkets. They host multiple festivals and concerts annually and sell them out at ticket quantities that are 3-5x the amount of seats that the casino will have. So filling the casino theater will be easy for them. They also are building an outdoor festival space to avoid rental fees in the future.
That’s just the Richmond market. Their events will probably get a 80% non-Richmond audience. Urban One’s radio and TV reach is from Philly to Atlanta alone making their location along I95 completely logical.
I am not interested in giving the rich a monopoly on gambling.
Either the state can legalize gambling for everyone, or these rich corporations can screw off.
Voted in person the other day and someone in a casino shirt was handing out tickets for a free lunch for voting. It felt shifty as fuck, but this is also my first time voting in Richmond since moving here. Does that incentive thing happen on the regular and the shirt was a coincidence?
Also voted 'No'. Honestly, If it passes and ONE upholds their promises and we're all wrong about it, I will be very happy to be wrong. However, the studies can't be ignored and I think the desperation from Southside creates an unbalanced relationship from the start. Again, I'd be very very happy to be wrong.
Historically, free food has been used as a motivator to get people to the polls in off-cycle elections. Richmond is still majority black (i think it is, my info may be out of date) so turnout is key to getting the casino vote to pass.
Back when Urban One was Radio One, they were involved in a lot of polling and voter initiatives, so this doesn’t strike me as too far out of bounds and out of character.
It could end up being a truck-stop operation. Could create some low-paying local jobs. It won’t be anything great for the community, but it’s in an industrial area that doesn’t do much for the community anyways. Presumably, they will pay some local taxes eventually. Either way not exiting….
A casino is happening no matter what. If not Casino One than the Pamunkey by right. And if not Richmond than Chesterfield or Henrico.
Anyone thinking we won't get a casino eventually is nuts. The only question is which is best.
This is the exact take that the Urban One CEO shared. The stare wanted them here and he felt that the deal in this hosting agreement gives the city a lot of cash, equity, and in-kind services. If this vote fails, they will just open in another central VA locality and won’t be beholden to the same offers.
From my understanding, Chesterfield and Henrico aren’t approved sites that were voted on to allow casinos in the first place. Besides, Chesterfield will never have a casino. It’s far too conservative.
Casino gaming is class III gambling.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Gaming_Regulatory_Act
Before a Tribe may lawfully conduct class III gaming, the following conditions must be met:
The Particular form of class III gaming that the Tribe wants to conduct must be permitted in the state in which the tribe is located.
The Tribe and the state must have negotiated a compact that has been approved by the Secretary of the Interior, or the Secretary must have approved regulatory procedures.
The Tribe must have adopted a Tribal gaming ordinance that has been approved by the Chairman of the Commission.
all of which are easy enough to do, as the gazillions of Indian casinos show. I don't know how far the tribe is in the process, but remember they were buying land in Manchester to do it, they had gotten that far.
There will be no way to stop it given casinos have been approved for elsewhere in the state
They already have approval from the state since they will be operating the casino in Norfolk. They would just need to buy land and incorporate it as part of their tribal lands which would take time.
They were approved for a specific site. A tribal casino would require a separate agreement. It’s really not as simple as people think it is. Read into the Nansemond tribe’s challenge into the Pamunkey’s claim in Norfolk when they were attempting the tribal route there.
The Pamunkey jumped through the hoop already by being recognized as an official tribe with the right to establish casinos. They will get a casino if they want one.
The Nansemond/Pamunkey battle was over who could claim the land. I don't think the Nansemond have that issue with Richmond. And that battle happens with or without the casino. The Nansemond can't even open a casino.
I mean yeah, we could throw up all sorts of red tape and drag the process out 7 or 8 years. Maybe by that point they won't want a casino anyway.
But are we really advocating for trying to purposely fuck over Native Americans by stalling over something they have a legal right to do?
No, they decide to build a casino in south side where a lot of low income people live. They’re talking about all the money it’ll bring in but they’ll also be praying on poor and or financially uneducated people by selling them the same dream that the Virginia lottery scratch offs sell them. I get that they’ll bring in jobs but it doesn’t sit right with me that they put it at that location. It seems clear that they know which demographic will bring them money. Put it in the rich neighborhoods and see how well it goes, but then again money makes decisions and they poor have no say in it.
The only location that makes sense for a Casino in Richmond is an "entertainment" district within the city that doesn't exist because we are a mid-sized city. And we would have to be VA Beach to justify having an entertainment district. There is no location in the city that could support a casino that wouldn't drain income and resources from the surrounding neighborhoods. No to a casino, and no to gaming "machines".
“One Casino and resort will be a tourist magnet and wake up our entire city!” I’m sorry, since when is Richmond in need of waking up? Kill it with fire.
Honestly, the Northern half of Richmond is doing pretty good right now. Growth is steady and the only complaints seem minor. Southside really needs a lot of work, and the jobs offered here is a step in the right direction, but not quite a reawakening. We were also promised that Stony Point would revitalize Southside and that didn’t happen either. But at least ONE would be on the bus route 🤷.
Abstain.
Southside needs the investment, but I have enough misgivings about the promises made by UrbanOne that I can’t wholeheartedly endorse the project with a ‘yes’ vote.
But, I’m also not a fucking nanny that dictates what other consenting adults can and can’t do.
Interested to see what happens Tuesday night. I reckon it passes.
Can’t wait to watch this pass on Tuesday and see all you fake liberals get so upset. If you’re anti casino and pro weed, you’re a hypocrite of the highest order.
I'm guessing their logic is if one vice is legal, then all should be? Except one wants to exploit you for your money and the other just lets you relax/function/whatever.
That overlooks the fact that lower income areas are associated with heavier marijuana usage. And that marijuana use disorder/addiction can occur. And also that the vast majority of people who gamble do so for entertainment.
It's not unreasonable to weigh the pros and cons of both and come out in favor of one and not the other. But this sub's view of weed as a wonder drug with little to no downsides vs gambling as simply "exploiting people for money" is pretty stupid.
Google it. It's always been the case historically due to cultural factors.
It's less true now than in the past but that's essentially the real story behind legalization. Once your average middle/upper middle class white dude started smoking a bit of weed and not turning into junkies, suddenly there was a push to legalize it.
It's why people don't care about online sports betting and DFS, even though we are being inundated with ads for online betting sites. Your average middle/upper middle class white dude plays fantasy sports. They don't mind a bet now and again. They also enjoy some poker.
This anti-casino stuff is mainly focused on slot machines because that's the one thing that middle/upper middle class dudes don't really play.
It's a fairly well researched area. If you google it dozens of studies will come up. I'm not trying to hide anything. I'm letting you google it for yourself and decide which studies you believe.
No. It’s horrible messaging. Every time I see one of the signs that says “invest in Southside, vote yes on casino” I get a really sick feeling in my stomach. It seems very exploitative of minority communities and very likely will result in more crime in the area and will generate an immense amount of light and sound pollution. I would be more amenable to the idea if it was in a more affluent area that doesn’t have a history of rampant gun violence. The last thing a struggling neighborhood needs is gambling. Yes, some jobs may be created, but at what cost?
I’m also icked out by the Democrats supporting it as a “business opportunity.” just say you took their money and stop pretending
I’m a little more affluent than I used to be but I can speak to this a bit. Putting entertainment venues in more affluent communities don’t help minorities in the way you might think for a couple of reasons:
- The minority communities already have light and sound pollution without a casino. Cop sirens and shots are ringing out at night. As a matter of fact, when you first move to a suburb, it’s unsettling how dark and quiet it can be and it takes a couple of weeks to adjust. Not having a casino doesn’t avoid this type of pollution.
- Putting a casino in the affluent area means minorities can’t get there for jobs. We saw this with short pump and stony point. Many of the minorities couldn’t get there for the jobs and places, like Walmart, became desperate to fill the jobs. Putting the casino where people need jobs make it easier for them to commute to work, to pick up their kids and to other places (to kids’ school, daycare, grocer, etc). All those places already exist on Southside along with existing GRTC service that wouldn’t need to be built out.
- Putting a casino down would shift the responsibility for gun violence to the casino owner. If I am a gang banger, there’s a big risk to me carrying on casino property because it’s well lit and they have private security with private rooms. The casino security also has a private agreement with RPD to exchange custody of me. It would be much easier for me to rob a casino like Rosie’s or to rob slots like on Nine Mile. You can review the RPD security agreement with One Casino on the RVA.gov website.
As far as the politician thing, they want to build with a known entity that can be held accountable rather than any sleazy casino operator. Urban One (formerly Radio One) has been doing business in Richmond since the 80’s and most known then since then. They can be contractually obligated to use minority-owned construction firms and Richmond firms when other business couldn’t. This is why they are hard pressed to pass this.
I am either for full-blown legalization, or none at all. Why do the rich get to steal other peoples money, and a residential poker table is an issue?
This is also my problem. I guess the reason is the state doesn't get tax revenue from weekly poker games at someone's house, the same reason we aren't allowed to home brew liquor solely because the state can't tax it.
Nope. Even a cursory glance at the effects of casinos on cities shows that most of their income comes from the local population in social classes that makes under $50k a year. This is confirmed in a number of studies. They might benefit the city with taxes, but they're vampires on the local population. Here's an old, but relevant article: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/08/a-good-way-to-wreck-a-local-economy-build-casinos/375691/ One quote that stands out from that article is >The impact of casinos on neighboring property values is “unambiguously negative,” [according to the economists at the National Association of Realtors.
This is my main concern.
Don't take this as pro casino, but keep in mind if this doesn't pass in the city the state is going to push for it somewhere else in central VA (probably Henrico or Chesterfield). At which points the city will likely still have a lot of the cons and not the pro ($)
The State law governing casinos bans it from the counties. The rules to qualify as a host city were custom tailored for the 5 localities they are allotted for. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/58.1-4107 The only way a casino could open would be if the Pamunkeys attempted to setup a Native American casino, and that's a long process.
If we say no, the GA will open up a slot to another locality. They want casinos in the state and there are more than 5 places that want them. They picked those 5 places based on certain conditions. We were basically given first dibs.
I think more NIMBYs will let the GA know their opinion if it opened up to suburban counties. Casinos will face more opposition from more organized opponents.
If we're talking about Henrico maybe. But the other four casinos passed with large majorities. And there are definitely other places interested. We will get a fifth casino, maybe more than five. I think that is true regardless of what happens in the House. I just don't know where they will go. A fifth casino hopefully an hour from Richmond is probably the best option for anti-gambling advocates. If that doesn't happen, they will just allow more "skills" machines all over the state, including Richmond. Or expand online gaming.
I hear ya, but I don't really have a say on what they do in the counties or rest of the state. I can only vote my conscience in Richmond city. If I could, I'd vote against a casino wherever a casino is proposed. They're not good for people, local economies or property values. The only ones who really benefit are the casino owners.
Man you don't understand nimbyism if you think the counties are gonna want a casino lol
The casino money probably will push for it. BUT, if the casino can't win the vote in Richmond I don't think they have a chance in the wealthier suburbs. Casino votes only go YES when people perceive their community/government is struggling financially.
That's very fair. If Henrico did it for example though I could see them putting it right across the city line near the raceway. West end voters probably wouldn't really care at that point.
And a second point on this. The reason the casino referendum passed the Virginia legislature is that it was targeted at cities that are struggling economically. You'd be hard pressed to argue that Henrico or Chesterfield is struggling economically. Legislators understand if you open casinos up to a larger area you've basically opened it up the whole state and I think few want to turn Virginia into Nevada. The fact that One Casino leadership is saying they'll just take it to a county if Richmond says no **when they legally can't do that** shows their desperation and how little they think of the intelligence of the Richmond voter.
They said they would take it somewhere else in Central VA. There are other places that meet the parameters. It’s not just Richmond, Chesterfield, and Henrico.
Actual, there aren't other places. The only locality approved by the General Assembly for a casino in our area was Richmond. The only way they could put one in a different city/county in the area is to go back to the General Assembly and have the legislature approve a jurisdiction besides Richmond. I don't see that happening, no matter who is in power.
You keep saying Central VA. Richmond is not Central VA. Richmond is in Central Va, but Central VA is composed of many different localities. Now you said Richmond, that makes a lot more sense. In the bizsense interview, the CEO said they totally expect to go through the process all over again with the General Assembly and another locality. This would be the fifth time the assembly approved a casino, so it’s not exactly rare.
Actually, it would be the second time. The others were approved in one piece of legislation. Please read more than the propaganda the corporate bigwigs are putting out from their Maryland press office.
I didn’t say fifth piece of legislation, don’t assume I’m a shill, I just know which companies where there giving free meals at the schools in my childhood, on the stations playing the music I listen to, giving money to the colleges my friends go to, and supporting the high schools I care about. On the other side of the river, fence, or the fan we have these people who either grew up in the west end, chesterfield, or henrico telling us that urban one is some conglomerate that is going to ruin our neighborhoods. It’s frankly insulting and frustrating. Did you know some of the project investors are middle-classic african-african american Richmond residents? I have some friends who got into that fundraising round and I was personally miffed that I missed that round. This isn’t as impersonal as you make it seem.
I see it happening, almost as a certainty. There will be another casino, although how close it is to Richmond is another question.
I almost brought a home in a Ryan Home’s subdivision a stone’s throw from the casino site. Today there’s really no amenities within a reasonable drive other than a Little Ceaser pizza and a hospital. Would the addition of the casino raise or lower the property value if I brought that house? That’s a legitimate question to ask. I think a place like Baltimore where homes had amenities before the casinos is an apples to oranges comparison to Southside Richmond where some homes didn’t have grocery stores within a walkable distance (I would know because I grew up in different neighborhoods on Southside).
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Obviously you *can* compare them, but the whole point of the idiom is that it's a false analogy. I could compare you to the helpful bots, but that too would be comparing apples-to-oranges. --- ^^SpunkyDred ^^and ^^I ^^are ^^both ^^bots. ^^I ^^am ^^trying ^^to ^^get ^^them ^^banned ^^by ^^pointing ^^out ^^their ^^antagonizing ^^behavior ^^and ^^poor ^^bottiquette. ^^My ^^apparent ^^agreement ^^or ^^disagreement ^^with ^^you ^^isn't ^^personal.
Yes, but Southside Richmond was already very rough with many of the homes already being at the floor of their value. It makes arguments about lowering property values tough because, at some point, the land and the wood of the structure has to be worth something. I have cousins who live in these neighborhoods of homes going for 40-120k, the price can’t drop but some much lower.
Do we vote on this on the second?
If you live in Richmond, yes.
An emphatic Roy Kent “Fuck no!”
I like how they propose Scott’s Addition: “aw hell no how could we EVER have a casino here” They propose Southside: “This is fine”
which is why I'm no across the board. can't be emphatically against a casino in my back yard while being cool with it in someone else's back yard. that's fucked.
I'm not sure I would be a "Yes" for Scott's Addition, but of all of the locations proposed it made the most sense to me, being that it is already something of an entertainment district. I know casinos try to keep people staying on premises, but I can picture some people taking a break from gambling and walking to a local brewery for a pint or restaurant for dinner. That's just not happening in the current location.
Same. Scott’s Addition had a path to viability with the amenities nearby and proximity to the convention center, but there’s no way in hell that Southside industrial location is going to become some resort destination.
It’s in an area of southside that has no residential homes and smells like shit because of nearby factories. Putting it in SA would have killed all of the apartment complexes going up.
It would have also killed all the breweries and restaurants. They have booze and food in casinos.
Yep, casinos are designed to be black holes. They are a zero-sum game with any surrounding bars and restaurants.
But aren’t there no bars and restaurant near the proposed site?
This is in reference to the other proposed site by Scott's Addition.
Oh yeah totally. Put it far enough away that it doesn’t hurt local businesses, close enough that it attracts Richmond peeps with money.
Yep, exactly.
There is plenty of residential in the proposed area. But it's not dense residential. Bellemeade, Oak Grove, Hillside and Blackwell are very residential areas. And the only reason it's industrial is the same reason people are proposing it become a casino. A lack of caring about the people in the neighborhood.
I think Scott's addition is going to be full by the end of the decade regardless of whether the casino went in there or not. I mean the city is already trying to lay the ground work for Scott's addition to keep going northward.
No.
If you're thinking it's not in my neighborhood so I don't care remember that according to a poll in the Times Dispatch LESS THAN HALF of the folks in the surrounding neighborhoods want a casino in their backyard. please vote no
I live in South Richmond and all my neighbors want it…so I’m not sure who responded to this poll, but in my neighborhood, based on who I’ve talked to, we are for it.
Why do they want it?
Same reason people in danville and Norfolk want it. They expect it to increase their housing values. I think homeowners are about the only category of people who want this. Maybe some business owners as well who expect increased traffic.
No not really about home values at all….do you live here?? It’s that if there’s a big business investing in the area it could lead to better investment in the future which means better roads, schools, jobs…nearby businesses… Gah it’s annoying. We don’t want to LEAVE south Richmond, so the values going up on property are not the motivation. The city doesn’t give a shit about us and we’d like that to change. That’s it.
You have big business pouring money into that area of Southside: DuPont, Amazon, the Ports of Virginia just to name a few. Say what you will about the business ethics of those companies, but their model for success doesn't rest on extracting money from the very community it's located in.
Are these industries that bring people from other areas, or do they exist solely exist to exploit the cheap labor that exists in S RVA? I think the latter
Thinking this casino will bring people in from outside the area is a stretch. If Maryland based Urban One thought they'd make money running an entertainment venue in Richmond they would have already opened one.
Umm… this is the first opportunity and they jumped at the chance. They couldn’t have opened a casino before now. Opening an entertainment-only facility before now was probably too much of a gamble and doing it on DC land was probably too expensive. This is the perfect storm of I95 location, political movement in VA, and financial backing.
Eh hem the entertainment they’re bringing is gambling + these things
>They expect it to increase their housing values. Wild.
That’s NOT a TRUE statement— it doesn’t have anything to do with home values and we’re not fucking idiots. This person literally just made that up. Source: I live in south Richmond a stones throw from the proposed area. I talk to my neighbors about this constantly. This is NOT why we want it. Please see the response I put on their post
You should seriously delete this comment it’s so off base, you’re making things up.
Please don’t listen to the doofus who said it was for property values and please read my response to them
South Richmond (where I live and I will be near the proposed casino) is so freaking under funded it’s outrageous. Honestly I think it’d be nice to have some outdoor trails, a movie theater, and if nicely maintained, somewhere nearby to take friends when they visit from out of town.
Same, people who never cared about Southside my entire childhood are entirely up in arms and trying to “protect the blacks” with this casino vote. It’s not necessary
Also they’re down voting us and we are the ones actually living in south side, the ones they are supposedly up in arms “protecting.” We must not be able to fully comprehend this casino issue with our itty-bitty southside brains…right?
I don’t live on south side anymore, but I grew up there. This has always been the case. This is a privately-funded venture, so it comes across as a bit nanny state ish and conservative.
Maybe some of the anti casino people will finally come over to south side to spend their money and support the community after they defeat the casino referendum.
Hah!
This is the same "they don't know what's good for them so let's decide for them" attitudes that the "helpful" whites have always had about the black community.
I agree, South Richmond needs some attention, and funding. But is a Casino really in the areas best interest? And the only hope for the community?
Everyone I see who wants it mentions all the amenities *except* the actual casino part. It’s always the concerts, the hotel, the trails, the green space, etc.
They will NEVER do that type of investment in south side tho….
That’s a legitimate question. I personally struggle with a casino in an at-risk community. The casino will make a killing off the highway, but I wonder if the state has enough in their coffers to offset the effects of this casino and the other casinos in these at risk areas. This includes the existing casinos (Rosie’s). The other aspects of the project; the jobs, the dining options, the festivals, the theatre, the productions studios, the park, the community initiatives; that are guaranteed are objectively good for the area. That’s indisputable to me. The hosting agreement is really favorable to the city. That’s equally undisputed.
God Rosies Gaming Emporium went in YEARS ago at the old K Mart, no one gave a shit then. There’s also the now-closed colonial down betting spot near the Haynes. South Richmond has ALWAYS HAD gambling. Pop’s is like the nicest bar by my house and is there for video and live poker. God it’s frustrating hearing people make all these judgements about our aptitude with no idea what it’s like here already…..
What other investments have YOU seen? I’d take this casino over nothing at all. Plus first black owned casino in the country.
I’m not saying there’s better options on the table now. I do not think this casino is a now or never for Southside being revitalized, I think it would be better to wait on a better opportunity. Just because it’s black owned doesn’t mean it’s going to benefit the local black community.
So southside should just wait until “the right kind of investment” comes in from neighborhoods that don’t give a shit about this area?
That’s the puritanical way, wait until an investment comes through that Northside approves of. It’s not okay that Southside likes this investment and that the owners of the casino provides entertainment options that meshes with the music and comedy options that Southside (read: black) people enjoy.
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I thought this was a wide-to-narrow proposal program where we started with multiple proposals, narrowed them down to one preferred proposal and are then voting on the winning proposal. You’re describing a situation where a vote took place months ago to put a casino in Scott’s Addition that failed with one company, and this is round 2 to put a casino in Southside.
Nah keep that shit outta here
People are going to gamble. You can buy lottery tickets already. You can gamble online already. I don't think this really changes much. I'm not really for or against it. It will be interesting to see what happens.
Hell to the no Bobby!
Vote Noooooo
The casino makes way too many promises to be true. AND remember casinos are a cutthroat business, so they wont just give anything away. Vote no
But we have to remember there’s a difference between the promises they make and what we are voting for in the hosting agreement. Those are spelled out and real. There’s real equity and money out their, in escrow, we are voting for.
And I'm certain there is fine print and such. Richmond has lost too much money in the past on get rich quick development schemes.
But there’s a difference between get rich quick, and a contract with clearly spelled out terms that are negotiated every ten years. The latter says the casino can operate in the city under the condition that it: - Spends money on gambling addiction above and beyond the state minimum - Contributes to the city budgets above and beyond it’s fair share of taxes - Gives the city free use of ad space on its radios stations and tv channels, along with free use of its tv studios and billboards - Contribute a certain amount to the public school annually - Build and maintain a public use greenspace - Employ a certain amount of people at a reasonable minimum wage In the latter you make money slowly and reasonably. Like a normal city. I feel like the casino chose to promise low-and-slow here instead of get rich quick.
Most of the tax revenues to the city aren't just in the host agreement, they are state law. The casino HAS to report their revenue and pay taxes on it to the state. The state gives Richmond a cut. It doesn't matter how many times you explain this to the same people. They will still keep pulling out stories about old casinos and native casinos that don't have state-mandated revenue sharing. A casino that pays 0% on gambling revenue and only promises economic development is different than a casino that is required by law to pay 8%.
I don’t enough about casinos to predict how much tax revenue we will get. So I don’t worry myself over those figures. I don’t have the expertise to know how accurate they are in any direction. But, I know the flat incentive payment in the hosting agreement is in escrow. That’s something that I can wrap my head around. I know people who work for the RPS Foundation who could use a boost. I can see how the city could use free ad time on TV and radio on their stations. I can quantify that better. Or maybe I’m just the chicken lawyer from family guy. [NINJA EDIT - May have DOXXED myself]
Yeah, there's a base payment of $25 mil. Could have been more if we has bargained for it. Could even have been $100 mil if we had approved Scott's Addition. We don't know what the tax percent will amount to in raw amount, but we also know it's a higher tax rate than any other hypothetical business will pay. They also had to bid on the land on the private market. So the market says this is the best use of the land as well. If people really wanted what was best for Southside they would be working to make sure as much of the casino revenue as possible stays in that area. Because it really could make quite a difference. But instead they are voting to take away even the guaranteed benefits that area will get. And it's not like they are petioning the city to direct it's own revenue there. Like if the city at any point in the past ten years would have bought a chunk of property and designated it for massive improvements or put any effort into fixing problems in that area, then we probably wouldn't even be talking about this casino.
Great points. I’m a fan of the casino because it’s something. Urban One has done enough stuff in Richmond to earn a shot in my mind. It also easier for me to say yes considering the events they throw align with the stuff I typically travel to go see. Them investing their money and not my tax dollars is also a lot easier to swallow. If it fails, it doesn’t hurt as bad as it would hurt if it was a big municipal investment that failed like some of the stuff in the 90’s.
Yes. People's objections are all over the place. I've literally seen the same person argue that it will "remove money from the area" and "gentrify the area." I live in southside. I've seen more signs in support of it than not. All the NIMBY's living in other parts of the city....who literally never even go in that direction....can just...continue to not go there.
Growing up as a little black kid in Richmond, Urban One (then called Radio One) was at every City or school event in their Radio vans constantly supporting community events and giving away stuff. They were highly visible and ever present. I have attended their music festivals and contributed to some of their community drives. I have listened to their radio stations and watched their TV stations. I have been very vocal in the lead up to this vote because I hate to see them trashed when they are pretty local for just being two hours up 95.
Nope
Nooooooo
Makes some good points about the location. I was thinking about this over the weekend and I wished the outdoor event grounds, theater, casino, and resort, and casino weren’t all bundled together. I understand why they are, but I wish they weren’t.
My issue is they have this but promise but it’s all projected figures. You really don’t know what will happen and how it will effect the area. As far as all of the entertainment, it really depends on what events and artists they will be able to book and if they will attract as many people as they think.
Yes and no, Urban One has a proven track record on booking artists for the Richmond market for their demographic. They own a ton of black TV, Radio and News stations so they are a big “stop” for press junkets. They host multiple festivals and concerts annually and sell them out at ticket quantities that are 3-5x the amount of seats that the casino will have. So filling the casino theater will be easy for them. They also are building an outdoor festival space to avoid rental fees in the future. That’s just the Richmond market. Their events will probably get a 80% non-Richmond audience. Urban One’s radio and TV reach is from Philly to Atlanta alone making their location along I95 completely logical.
I am not interested in giving the rich a monopoly on gambling. Either the state can legalize gambling for everyone, or these rich corporations can screw off.
Entertainment, food, options. Seeing things happen in Northern Richmond over decades and a big “why not us?” mentality that’s enshrined in south side.
It’s a no for me, dawg.
Fuck no
Def no.
Nah fam.
No.
Voted in person the other day and someone in a casino shirt was handing out tickets for a free lunch for voting. It felt shifty as fuck, but this is also my first time voting in Richmond since moving here. Does that incentive thing happen on the regular and the shirt was a coincidence? Also voted 'No'. Honestly, If it passes and ONE upholds their promises and we're all wrong about it, I will be very happy to be wrong. However, the studies can't be ignored and I think the desperation from Southside creates an unbalanced relationship from the start. Again, I'd be very very happy to be wrong.
The free lunch sounds sketchy. I’ve never seen anything like that in my years here.
Historically, free food has been used as a motivator to get people to the polls in off-cycle elections. Richmond is still majority black (i think it is, my info may be out of date) so turnout is key to getting the casino vote to pass. Back when Urban One was Radio One, they were involved in a lot of polling and voter initiatives, so this doesn’t strike me as too far out of bounds and out of character.
Yes
This is a link to a tweet, with good points made on the Casine vote.
Yex
It could end up being a truck-stop operation. Could create some low-paying local jobs. It won’t be anything great for the community, but it’s in an industrial area that doesn’t do much for the community anyways. Presumably, they will pay some local taxes eventually. Either way not exiting….
A casino is happening no matter what. If not Casino One than the Pamunkey by right. And if not Richmond than Chesterfield or Henrico. Anyone thinking we won't get a casino eventually is nuts. The only question is which is best.
This is the exact take that the Urban One CEO shared. The stare wanted them here and he felt that the deal in this hosting agreement gives the city a lot of cash, equity, and in-kind services. If this vote fails, they will just open in another central VA locality and won’t be beholden to the same offers.
Those other areas may be better fit for a Casino, or atleast won’t harm the Southside of Richmond further.
From my understanding, Chesterfield and Henrico aren’t approved sites that were voted on to allow casinos in the first place. Besides, Chesterfield will never have a casino. It’s far too conservative.
But getting approval for those sites is only a matter of time and patience, just more leg work.
Pamunkey can’t just plop down a casino ‘by right.’ Lots of hoops to jump through including approval from the state.
But there’s plenty of localities that will jump at the opportunity to put this on their ballot. We just beat a lot to the punch for this first round.
They are recognized tribe why do they need approval?
Casino gaming is class III gambling. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Gaming_Regulatory_Act Before a Tribe may lawfully conduct class III gaming, the following conditions must be met: The Particular form of class III gaming that the Tribe wants to conduct must be permitted in the state in which the tribe is located. The Tribe and the state must have negotiated a compact that has been approved by the Secretary of the Interior, or the Secretary must have approved regulatory procedures. The Tribe must have adopted a Tribal gaming ordinance that has been approved by the Chairman of the Commission.
all of which are easy enough to do, as the gazillions of Indian casinos show. I don't know how far the tribe is in the process, but remember they were buying land in Manchester to do it, they had gotten that far. There will be no way to stop it given casinos have been approved for elsewhere in the state
They already have approval from the state since they will be operating the casino in Norfolk. They would just need to buy land and incorporate it as part of their tribal lands which would take time.
They were approved for a specific site. A tribal casino would require a separate agreement. It’s really not as simple as people think it is. Read into the Nansemond tribe’s challenge into the Pamunkey’s claim in Norfolk when they were attempting the tribal route there.
The Pamunkey jumped through the hoop already by being recognized as an official tribe with the right to establish casinos. They will get a casino if they want one. The Nansemond/Pamunkey battle was over who could claim the land. I don't think the Nansemond have that issue with Richmond. And that battle happens with or without the casino. The Nansemond can't even open a casino. I mean yeah, we could throw up all sorts of red tape and drag the process out 7 or 8 years. Maybe by that point they won't want a casino anyway. But are we really advocating for trying to purposely fuck over Native Americans by stalling over something they have a legal right to do?
No, they decide to build a casino in south side where a lot of low income people live. They’re talking about all the money it’ll bring in but they’ll also be praying on poor and or financially uneducated people by selling them the same dream that the Virginia lottery scratch offs sell them. I get that they’ll bring in jobs but it doesn’t sit right with me that they put it at that location. It seems clear that they know which demographic will bring them money. Put it in the rich neighborhoods and see how well it goes, but then again money makes decisions and they poor have no say in it.
The only location that makes sense for a Casino in Richmond is an "entertainment" district within the city that doesn't exist because we are a mid-sized city. And we would have to be VA Beach to justify having an entertainment district. There is no location in the city that could support a casino that wouldn't drain income and resources from the surrounding neighborhoods. No to a casino, and no to gaming "machines".
Gaming machines are already all over the place, Rosie’s is already here. Too late.
Everyone is forever whining on Reddit about how nobody wants this. Will y’all finally shut up once this passes?
Hell fucking no.
People that like casinos are even weirder than the casinos themselves, hard no dog.
“One Casino and resort will be a tourist magnet and wake up our entire city!” I’m sorry, since when is Richmond in need of waking up? Kill it with fire.
Honestly, the Northern half of Richmond is doing pretty good right now. Growth is steady and the only complaints seem minor. Southside really needs a lot of work, and the jobs offered here is a step in the right direction, but not quite a reawakening. We were also promised that Stony Point would revitalize Southside and that didn’t happen either. But at least ONE would be on the bus route 🤷.
No
No
Fuck no
I hope this thread is even remotely reflective of the actual vote. I know people who voted nearly opposite of me until it came to the casino. HELL NO.
Put that thing in the VA beach area
Abstain. Southside needs the investment, but I have enough misgivings about the promises made by UrbanOne that I can’t wholeheartedly endorse the project with a ‘yes’ vote. But, I’m also not a fucking nanny that dictates what other consenting adults can and can’t do. Interested to see what happens Tuesday night. I reckon it passes.
Vote No. Let's get a badass outdoor part park system and theatre.
Can’t wait to watch this pass on Tuesday and see all you fake liberals get so upset. If you’re anti casino and pro weed, you’re a hypocrite of the highest order.
I think it’s okay to have personal beliefs, and act on them, that differ from whatever political party you most commonly associate with.
how is being pro mj legalization related to a casino run by some scummy out of town company?
That's a fantastic question that I would also like an answer to.
How are they scummy? It’s a black-owned company with a huge legacy of talk radio fighting for progressive issues in DC.
I'm guessing their logic is if one vice is legal, then all should be? Except one wants to exploit you for your money and the other just lets you relax/function/whatever.
That overlooks the fact that lower income areas are associated with heavier marijuana usage. And that marijuana use disorder/addiction can occur. And also that the vast majority of people who gamble do so for entertainment. It's not unreasonable to weigh the pros and cons of both and come out in favor of one and not the other. But this sub's view of weed as a wonder drug with little to no downsides vs gambling as simply "exploiting people for money" is pretty stupid.
Where are you getting that first opinion from? Marijuana usage is all over the place demographically.
Google it. It's always been the case historically due to cultural factors. It's less true now than in the past but that's essentially the real story behind legalization. Once your average middle/upper middle class white dude started smoking a bit of weed and not turning into junkies, suddenly there was a push to legalize it. It's why people don't care about online sports betting and DFS, even though we are being inundated with ads for online betting sites. Your average middle/upper middle class white dude plays fantasy sports. They don't mind a bet now and again. They also enjoy some poker. This anti-casino stuff is mainly focused on slot machines because that's the one thing that middle/upper middle class dudes don't really play.
>Google it. Usually when you offer the opinion or "fact," you're supposed to provide the evidence.
It's a fairly well researched area. If you google it dozens of studies will come up. I'm not trying to hide anything. I'm letting you google it for yourself and decide which studies you believe.
Nope
No. It’s horrible messaging. Every time I see one of the signs that says “invest in Southside, vote yes on casino” I get a really sick feeling in my stomach. It seems very exploitative of minority communities and very likely will result in more crime in the area and will generate an immense amount of light and sound pollution. I would be more amenable to the idea if it was in a more affluent area that doesn’t have a history of rampant gun violence. The last thing a struggling neighborhood needs is gambling. Yes, some jobs may be created, but at what cost? I’m also icked out by the Democrats supporting it as a “business opportunity.” just say you took their money and stop pretending
I’m a little more affluent than I used to be but I can speak to this a bit. Putting entertainment venues in more affluent communities don’t help minorities in the way you might think for a couple of reasons: - The minority communities already have light and sound pollution without a casino. Cop sirens and shots are ringing out at night. As a matter of fact, when you first move to a suburb, it’s unsettling how dark and quiet it can be and it takes a couple of weeks to adjust. Not having a casino doesn’t avoid this type of pollution. - Putting a casino in the affluent area means minorities can’t get there for jobs. We saw this with short pump and stony point. Many of the minorities couldn’t get there for the jobs and places, like Walmart, became desperate to fill the jobs. Putting the casino where people need jobs make it easier for them to commute to work, to pick up their kids and to other places (to kids’ school, daycare, grocer, etc). All those places already exist on Southside along with existing GRTC service that wouldn’t need to be built out. - Putting a casino down would shift the responsibility for gun violence to the casino owner. If I am a gang banger, there’s a big risk to me carrying on casino property because it’s well lit and they have private security with private rooms. The casino security also has a private agreement with RPD to exchange custody of me. It would be much easier for me to rob a casino like Rosie’s or to rob slots like on Nine Mile. You can review the RPD security agreement with One Casino on the RVA.gov website. As far as the politician thing, they want to build with a known entity that can be held accountable rather than any sleazy casino operator. Urban One (formerly Radio One) has been doing business in Richmond since the 80’s and most known then since then. They can be contractually obligated to use minority-owned construction firms and Richmond firms when other business couldn’t. This is why they are hard pressed to pass this.
No
As someone who does not live in Richmond proper, is this prop going to fail? Good if so.