Within the morning hours of February 12, Petersburg will formally begin the beginning paperwork course of, pending the authorized go forward of the potential on line casino referendum.
Request for Proposal:
Through the preliminary paperwork course of, the Metropolis of Petersburg will formally ship a Request for Proposal (RFP) to potential on line casino builders, which represents a key step in the entire course of. As for the aforementioned RFP, it seeks bids for a “complete financial improvement undertaking” that’d contain a “vacation spot resort, actual property improvement, retail, occasion venue and on line casino,” based mostly on the assertion revealed by the aforementioned metropolis on February 11.
Relatedly, the RFP was portion of the unified vote on the decision all through a selected assembly of the Metropolis Council held on February 9. Nonetheless, earlier in the identical day, the Virginia Senate formally handed the invoice that’d add Petersburg to the listing of 5 cities internet hosting casinos sited in tactical elements of Virginia. Moreover, it’s projected that the Home of Delegates will cross the aforementioned Senate invoice, and is anticipated that Gov. Glenn Youngkin will formally signal it.
If every of the chief and legislative obstacles are eliminated, the stated metropolis might formally vote on the on line casino as quickly as potential, which is subsequent November.
Recent path:
This time, Petersburg is taking a completely different strategy in comparison with final 12 months when the stated metropolis was closely criticized for a lack of transparency in selecting a potential on line casino vendor all through is authorized battle with Richmond for the fifth place. However Richmond, the preliminary host-city selection whose voters refused the first referendum 3 years in the past, aka in 2021, finally emerged victorious within the aforementioned battle. Nonetheless, Richmond voters rejected the matter once more for the 2nd time in November of the earlier 12 months.
Moreover, to formally sponsor the position of Petersburg on the listing, Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg formally led a coalition of senators. That group concerned Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, who in 2023 opposed Petersburg having a on line casino inside its borders, for which the principle motive was the best way earlier Sen. Joe Morrissey pressed ahead with the matter. On this sense, throughout June of the earlier 12 months, Aird formally defeated Morrissey within the Democratic major.
All through the Senate’s considering on the referendum laws, a number of lawmakers identified they hoped Petersburg would observe by means of on its promise of transparency within the course of, in keeping with The Progress-Index.
Within the aforementioned assertion from February 11, Aird was praised for her “pivotal position in advocating for Petersburg’s inclusion as a number metropolis in Basic Meeting laws.” On this regard, the assertion learn: “This legislative milestone displays the collaborative efforts between Petersburg officers and Senator Aird in advancing the invoice and inspiring neighborhood engagement and assist.”
In comparison with the earlier 12 months, on this session within the Home of Delegates, there was no accompanying invoice. Del. Kim Taylor, R-Dinwiddie County, has determined to make the Senate laws the major device and has pledged to again up its Home passage.
