In the waning days of the campaign, the developers had to apologize to a leading project opponent, longtime Democratic Party activist Paul Goldman, after a radio host on an Urban One station made widely condemned antisemitic remarks about Goldman. Opponents raised an array of concerns, including an argument that casinos will extract wealth from the working class and exacerbate problem gambling. READ MORE: Democrat Cherelle Parker is elected as Philadelphia’s 100th mayor, 1st woman to hold the office Plans called for gambling options including slots, an on-site sportsbook and table games a 250-room hotel a 55-acre (22-hectare) outdoor park dining options and a 3,000-seat concert venue.īoosters estimated the casino would deliver 1,300 permanent jobs, and developers are promising big financial benefits.

It was a joint venture between Urban One, a media company, and Churchill Downs, the Louisville-based operator of the Kentucky Derby that also runs gambling establishments across the country. The project - this time branded the Richmond Grand Resort and Casino - would have been located on the same former tobacco company site just off I-95 in south Richmond that was identified in the first proposal. Many of the anti-casino signs that dotted the city in recent weeks emphasized the fact that the city already said “no” once before. The proposal also faced a lesser-funded but organized opposition effort. The developers returned with a retooled proposal and invested around $10 million into a pro-casino campaign aimed at building support for the project, which had the backing of Mayor Levar Stoney and major area business groups. READ MORE: Ohio voters enshrine abortion access in constitution in latest win for reproductive rights The Associated Press has not yet made a call on the ballot measure, which came before voters again after the city narrowly voted down a similar project in 2021. We are grateful to the thousands of Richmonders who voted for good jobs and a stronger city, especially those in Southside who poured their hearts into this project,” a statement from the Richmond Wins, Vote Yes referendum committee said. “We are proud to have run a community-centered campaign to create more opportunities for residents of this great city to rise into the middle class. (AP) - The developers of a proposed resort casino in Virginia’s capital city conceded a loss Tuesday night in their second shot at winning voters’ approval for the project.