The city of Roanoke is looking at the idea of attracting a casino.
City manager Valmarie Turner and Mayor Joe Cobb announced the initiative on Tuesday. Roanoke has been considering changes to enhance the Berglund Center, a cluster of entertainment facilities that routinely hosts concerts, Broadway shows, and conventions, but which tends to run in the red financially.
City leaders say they have a plan to change that, by attracting a casino to the Berglund Center, and transforming the facility into an entertainment district with restaurants, lodging and more.
"Today, we're announcing the city's exploration of an exciting new opportunity: evaluating the potential for an entertainment district here at the Berglund Center," said City Manager Valmarie Turner during a news conference Tuesday.
Mayor Joe Cobb says a casino could revitalize the center, while providing additional revenue – some of which could be used for upgrades.
"It needs some refurbishing," Cobb said. "So this would be an opportunity through all of the amenities to have access to some revenue that would allow us to do that."
The Virginia General Assembly authorized casino gambling at five cities in 2019, including Bristol and Danville. The Hard Rock Casino in Bristol reported gross revenue of $22.3 million in August, while the Caesars Virginia casino in Danville drew in $34.5 million that month.
But winning a casino in Roanoke would require approval from state lawmakers, plus approval in a citywide referendum. Lawmakers have been skeptical about a similar proposal in Fairfax County. And Delegate Joe McNamara and Sen. David Suetterlein, Republicans who each represent portions of the city, sent out a news release blasting the idea of placing a casino in Roanoke.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Democratic Delegate Sam Rasoul, who’s district includes most of Roanoke, told Radio IQ he’s always voted against casino bills and does not intend to sponsor such a bill for Roanoke.
There's also the complicated history of the civic center, which was a centerpiece of Roanoke's urban renewal movement in the 20th century, which bulldozed dozens of blocks of neighborhoods to build the center and Interstate 581. Cobb says he's mindful of that history.
"One of the things that I am very interested in is how we utilize the revenue here to support the surrounding neighborhood," Cobb said.
City council members at the news conference largely declined comment. But Berglund Center General Manager Robyn Schon Smith says she's on board.
"It just kind of makes sense with our location, with our successes," Smith said. "We just keep getting better and bigger, and this could be a whole new phase for us."
The casino initiative is still in its earliest phases. City leaders promised more information as it becomes available.
