Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell introduced a bill to the General Assembly that, if passed, would authorize a casino to be built in Fairfax County. And Comstock Holdings is working on a proposal for a development if it’s passed.
Senate Bill 982 would make Fairfax County eligible for a casino, with specifications for where in the county it could go. The bill would require that any casino proposals would have to pass a ballot referendum so voters could determine whether the casino would be allowed.
This legislation is nearly identical to the bill introduced by Sen. Dave Marsden in the last two legislative sessions, which did not advance.
Under SB 982, the casino would have to be:
- Located within one-quarter of a mile of an existing station on the Metro Silver Line
- Part of a coordinated mixed-use project development consisting of no less than 1.5 million square feet
- Within 2 miles of a regional enclosed mall containing not less than 1.5 million square feet of gross building area
- Outside of the Interstate 495 Beltway
The former iteration of this bill faced a great deal of opposition and scrutiny, both from members of the public and legislators. Last year, a Change.org petition to oppose the casino gained over 3,850 signatures, and a group called No NOVA Casino emerged to show opposition due to potential traffic impacts, harm to local businesses, and stress on community resources.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said in a letter to legislators last year that the county did not ask for the authority to hold a casino referendum and pointed out that about 70 percent of the taxes that come from casino revenues would go to the state, which he said his constituents likely wouldn’t support.
Marsden stressed last year that the revenue from a casino development would be beneficial to Virginia, and said that by not having a casino in the area, Virginia was losing money and jobs to Maryland’s MGM.
Comstock Makes a Plan
Comstock Executive Vice President John Harrison publicly commented on the company’s planned proposal to build a mixed-use development centered around a new casino at a public forum hosted by the Fairfax County NAACP.
“We look at what’s going on in Tysons as an opportunity to bring an entertainment anchor to a larger mixed-use venue that really includes that sort of ‘live, work, play,’” Harrison said.
Comstock would propose a 6 million-to-8 million-square-foot mixed use development, centered around the lot of a former auto dealership at 8546 Leesburg Pk., according to The Washington Business Journal. That lot had previously been approved for a development called The View at Tysons.
The concept for the casino-anchored development could include a performing arts venue, a luxury hotel and spa, a convention center, apartments, and an IMAX-esque movie theater, according to WBJ.
This proposal is still in very early stages. First, the bill will need to pass and be signed by the governor, the voters would need to approve the public referendum, and the plan would still be subject to approval by the Board of Supervisors. Comstock would likely not be the only company to submit a proposal.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
