14 July 2008
Casino Expansion is Still a Hot Topic
Posted by Ryan Coffey under: Uncategorized .
For a month or so now I’ve been hearing talk about a major expansion of the Casino that we have downtown, but the fact that I hear about it again and again makes me think that they must want it badly enough to push for all the media attention they’re getting. (I’ve heard a lot less about all the work that will be done to the mall it’s in for example.) I haven’t heard anyone say anything that was really against it yet, though I’m sure they’re out there, but even so it will still have to be cleared with the city council before they can go ahead and do it.
Here is an article I found in the Times Colonist, but it looks like it also ran in the Daily News as well.
Ryan Coffey
Casino plans major expansion
Downtown gaming business could double in size if city council approves
| Daily News |
|
The Great Canadian Casino Co. wants to nearly double its gaming space in Nanaimo.
An application going to city council on Monday calls for the construction of a 46,000 square-foot gaming facility in two phases.
The first phase would add 23,197 square feet to the existing 24,000 square foot casino, which would be replaced with a 3 1/2-storey parkade. Another 22,680 square feet of gaming space would be built above the new casino.
The company proposes to construct a semicircular glass-fronted building next door to the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. Inside, the casino operator wants to put 650 slot machines, up from 425 slots currently in operation.
City council members and downtown merchants, represented by the Downtown Nanaimo Partnership, like the economic benefits, and no one is fretting about adding 225 slot machines or doubling gaming space.
"I think it will go a long way to be another excellent addition to the downtown," said Coun. Merv Unger.
On the additional slots, he said: "It’s simply a matter of supply and demand. If demand is there, the casino will put them in."
Coun. Jeet Manhas said the development application is "great" for downtown. "It think it’s about time they started spending some money in Nanaimo and do a good job for the casino."
Nor does he see expanded gambling as negative for Nanaimo.
"Gambling is here and I would rather have a nice new facility to fit in with the conference centre (and) the hotel next door," said Manhas.
"It doesn’t mean more gambling, it means a better building. And with Port Place next door being redeveloped as well, I think downtown is starting to work. Everything we’ve done over the past 10 years is finally starting to pay off."
George Hanson, managing director of the Downtown Nanaimo Partnership, avoided commenting on the controversial aspect of expanded gambling. "From our perspective it increases the appeal of that destination and therefore it increases the likelihood of more people downtown, enjoying what the downtown has to offer," Hanson said.
"I know the Port Place shopping centre is planning a complete redevelopment of that site and there have been numerous drafts of what that site would look like."
The casino brings in about $3 million a year to city coffers, the city’s 10% share on gambling profits. That take would only grow, as conventioneers and tourists flock to downtown to spend evenings at the new, expanded casino.
The mall is owned by First Capital Realty, which also owns Woodgrove Crossing, Longwood Station, part of Terminal Park plaza and is buying the ground-floor retail portion of the Port of Nanaimo Centre, beneath the conference centre. It’s too early to say what it would look like after the casino expansion, said Mike Lowe, First Capital Realty B.C. managing director.
"It’s a big animal to tackle and we’re trying to obviously improve downtown to match it with the conference centre close by," Lowe said. "It’s not an easy task, let’s put it that way.
"I can tell you we would like to see some residential mixed-use. We don’t know exactly, we’re going through the steps right now."
He said it’s taking longer than expected coming up with a proposal that meshes with what the city envisions for the area, next to the Assembly Wharf lands where the Port of Nanaimo wants a cruise ship facility and some have suggested a multiplex should go.
Asked when he expects to have a development plan ready for the property, he said: "If you’d asked me that a month ago, I would say we’d have submitted it by now."
