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Bristol opens a casino!

17.06.2020 14:05

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Bristol’s public support for Hard Rock Bristol Casino’s offer is staggering! The offer of Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Resort in Bristol, Virginia, received extremely positive reviews from residents of the city. The Bristol City Council listened to the public on the proposed development scheme during a special hearing that took place last Thursday at the Bristol City Hall.

Residents of the city were able to express their opinion on the proposed casino complex personally or by using the comments by e-mail that were read during the hearing.

After the Virginia Legislature allowed the construction of Las Vegas-style casinos in five cities across the state with disabilities, it seems that Bristol is growing faster than any of the four other cities.

Last month Bristol leaders invited interested operators to submit proposals for the development of casinos by May 8. Hard Rock International, the gaming and hotel giant in Florida, was the only company to submit such an offer, and now it seeks to convince the public of the benefits that the casino resort will bring.

In accordance with the legislation on casinos, city residents must decide whether or not their cities will accept casinos through city referenda. Bristol could hold such a referendum in the November 3 election.

The project receives public support.

Most Bristol residents attending the hearing on Thursday expressed a positive attitude towards the casino proposal, emphasizing the benefits in the number of new high-paying jobs that the project will create and the number of tourists that it will attract from other states.

One resident of Bristol said, as a business owner, he thinks casino development is a great idea.

However, another commentator wrote to city officials in an email that an independent study of the financial impact of the casino should be provided before a referendum is held in the city. City manager Randall Eads said he plans to hire a gaming analyst when he has the opportunity to consider more than one casino development proposal.

Mr. Eads – “Since we received only one offer, I decided not to move forward by hiring a game analyst.”

Despite the extremely positive reviews, the Hard Rock proposal has a long way to go before it is implemented.

The Bristol City Council will consider the resolution at its upcoming meeting on May 26, at which Hard Rock will be named the preferred casino operator. If a decision is made, the casino application will be submitted to the Virginia Lottery Council.

If the gaming regulator approves the application, the city will officially be able to request a referendum for the casino in November this year.

Bristol Mayor Neil Osbourne urged residents to step out and vote in November, whether they support or oppose the casino scheme. The official also noted that he believes the majority of residents support him.

In a two-page cover letter and 307-page plan, Hard Rock said it planned to build a casino complex on the territory of Bristol Shopping Center with an area of 46 acres. The casino will also have a hotel with 750 rooms and suites, a fitness center and a spa.

In addition, the complex will include facilities for meetings and events, an indoor / outdoor entertainment center Hard Rock Live, high-end retail stores and stores that sell famous brands at a discount.

According to preliminary estimates, the resort could create 2,000 new jobs during the first year of operation and more than 5,200 jobs during the first seven years, and also attract more than 4 million visitors to the city annually and thus become a significant “economic engine” Bristol and the whole region.