PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The push to get a casino continued on Tuesday in Portsmouth.
Mayor John Rowe and Portsmouth City Council held a news conference for city staff on what the casino plan means for the city.
They are all supporting the legislation in the General Assembly that ,if approved, would call for a referendum where people vote for or against a casino, and it could happen in November if the fast track continues.
Full Video: Officials discuss Crawford development
City officials say the Crawford Bay site is six acres situated along the waterfront. The city has been studying the redevelopment of the waterfront area of downtown since 1994.
The news conference comes one day after officials confirmed there is an effort to bring casinos to three localities in Virginia, including Portsmouth.
10 On Your Side confirms the possible waterfront casino would be at the site of the the former Holiday Inn. It would include a first class hotel and about a 140,000 square foot casino.
It is a $500-$700 million dollar project.
The main developer is W.M Jordan’s John Lawson.
At the news conference it was revealed that only John Lawson is a member of Portsmouth Resorts LLC, which is the operating organization for a Portsmouth casino.
10 On Your Side reached out to Mr. Lawson, who was unavailable for comment, and also reached out to Developer Bruce Thompson, who worked with Lawson on the successful Cavalier Restoration project.
10 On Your Side asked Thompson if he would be involved in the casino project, and he responded by text, “possibly, we have discussed it briefly.”
It’s premature to even discuss it until the General Assembly passes the legislation that would allow casinos, and then the casino would have to win in a referendum vote.
Pivotal to bringing a casino deal to the table is Robert Moore, who is Portsmouth’s Director of Economic Development, “It will further position downtown Portsmouth to be the number one destination in Hampton Roads,” to long applause from those gathered at the announcement.
The City of Portsmouth thinks the casino project would be an economic explosion. “We are talking about a development that will be north of a half a billion dollars. We are talking about a site that will create jobs for 3,000 people. We are talking about revenues that will come to the city annually approaching $50 million. That is not too shabby, that is not too shabby,” Mayor John Rowe said to big applause of approval.
Portsmouth resident Dottie Zoellner doesn’t care as much about those dollars as she does about peace and quiet. “I don’t want it. I live across the street from that area. I live in One Crawford Parkway, and I don’t know what they are going to do with all that parking. I don’t want the traffic, and I just don’t want it.”
The casino is dependent on a referendum vote. No to a casino means no to a casino. 10 On Your Side asked Mayor Rowe what would happened if that were the case. “The answer is no casino, and we will build something here without a casino.”
Portsmouth’s large church community may also be opposed to casinos.
“We want everyone to keep an open mind … to the church community it is an opportunity for us to build up our city … this is an opportunity for them to build up Portsmouth,” said Portsmouth Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke. They got to get away from the narrow mind that it is crime or anything else that will make the city go down.”
Another point, building on the six acre site would solve a Portsmouth problem. 51 percent of the city is non-taxable land.
“We are fortunate to have the Naval Hospital, that is a non-taxable asset, the shipyard, a non-taxable asset,” said Portsmouth Commissioner of the Revenue Frankie Edmondson. “Just across the water the Port, and we are not able to tax that either.”
Moore laid out the numbers, “At full capacity it will contribute over $100 million to the state and local government in the form of taxes … that will include $50 million to the City of Portsmouth.”
Portsmouth is not alone. On Tuesday, Delegate Barry Knight (R) Virginia Beach put in legislation supporting an Indian Tribe casino in Norfolk, “I’m on board with this project. It’s all about economics, and I believe it is going to be a rising tide for the entire region.”
It’s fair to think both won’t be built, and thus begins the battle between Norfolk and Portsmouth, and convincing anti-gambling folks the casino is a good bet.
“Virginia has not slipped into the ocean due to legalizing the lottery, and it won’t with legalizing casinos either,” Mayor Rowe said.
We don’t if the legislation authorizing casinos will pass, but we do know if it does there will be no casinos in Portsmouth or Norfolk if residents of those cities defeat casinos in a referendum vote.