Alfred C. Liggins III, CEO of development partner Urban One, discussed the Richmond Grand Resort and Casino project with about 75 Richmonders at Southern Kitchen Restaurant in Jackson Ward on Monday evening.
The proposed $562 million gambling and entertainment complex is a joint venture between Urban One, a diversified media company, and Churchill Downs, the Louisville-based operator of the Kentucky Derby that also runs gambling establishments throughout the country.
Two years ago, Richmond voters narrowly rejected a referendum that would have opened the door for a proposed casino. Two years later, the project is back on the Nov. 7 ballot.
Mr. Liggins and representatives of Colonial Downs have met with several organizations, including churches and news media representatives to shed light on the revised casino project that promises jobs with an average annual salary of $55,000 and pledges of charitable donations along with $30 million in annual tax revenue for Richmond.
The proposed project would be located in a former tobacco company site just off Interstate 95 in south Richmond, the same site that was identified in the first proposal. If the ref- erendum passes, gambling options include slots, an on-site sportsbook and gaming tables.
The venue also would include a 250-room hotel, a 55-acre outdoor park, several sit-down dining options and a 3,000-seat concert venue, officials said at Monday’s event. While the venue is expected to attract Richmonders, its developers wager that most of its patrons will come from surrounding cities and states.
