NEW KENT COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Critics and supporters of the proposed New Kent casino had an opportunity to share any issues they had at a public forum on Thursday evening.
New Kent supervisors at the meeting made it clear that the $700 million casino proposal is much less important than the return of living horse racing at Colonial Downs.
8News spoke with Billy Shahinian about the proposed casino in the county and if the people in the area are in competition with the possible casino.
“I personally think it’s a little one-sided. They probably should have been invited so that we can kind of hear where they’re coming from, but in all honesty, it would not change my opinion no matter what they said,” said Shahinian.
Shahinian and others at the meeting are against the construction of the casino. Critics are concerned it will bring a spike in crime and increase traffic in the area, which puts stress upon emergency services.
Ed Branch, another opponent of the casino, talked to 8News about his concerns.
“Next thing you know, you’re going to have a spike in divorce, spike in domestic violence, spike in drug and alcoholism,” said Branch.
Locals are excited for the return of Colonial Downs, which will reopen in 2019, as it promises to bring casino-style gambling back to Virginia.
“We hope Colonial Downs becomes one of the best horse racing tracks in America,”
The less-concrete tribal casino is still years away and would create 4,000 jobs for the area.
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