DANVILLE, Va. — It’s along a busy stretch of US-220 near Summerfield that state leaders are proposing building a new casino.
Even if the process were to move forward, it would likely be years before this property would look anything like the progress being made in Danville.
City leaders in Danville said the process of building, what will eventually be Caesars Virginia, has been no small task.
Nor has it been a quick task.
City Councilman Lee Vogler said the process began in 2018 when state leaders voted to allow casino gambling in the state, but that was just the beginning.
"We went to different states and locations to meet with the casino operators in similar scenarios to our own. We met with mayors, police chiefs, and any one of those locations to ask them the good, the bad, and the ugly about it," Vogler said.
From there, studies were done to learn how a casino could impact the city and its residents.
In 2020, citizens in Danville and three other Virginia cities voted on a referendum for the project.
"You’ve truly been able to show the community buying. Richmond, for example, was a part of the legislation in Virginia, and when they put it in front of their citizens, it didn’t pass," Vogler explained.
Right now, a public vote is not part of the legislation that would open the door for gambling in Rockingham County.
However, Danville City Manager Ken Larking said having public input was vital for the long-term success of their casino.
"Of course, it was up to the citizens to decide if they even want to do it and it’s our responsibility as public officials to make sure that if the public asks for us to do it, that we are doing it the best way possible," Larking shared.
Five years later, Caesars Entertainment has finally opened a temporary casino as construction continues on the permanent resort set to open late next year.
Larking encourages other cities to do some research, just as they did, before rolling the dice on a new casino.
"I would not recommend just popping down a large development like this without any thought. You have to really understand the process. You have to understand what is at stake and you have to understand the impact and plan for what that impact might be," Larking said.
The decision to build a casino on this property near Summerfield is far from a done deal.
State and county leaders must make zoning and legislative changes before anyone places a bet in Rockingham County.
The discussion is expected to continue at a county commissioner's meeting later this month.