Meanwhile South of the Fraser River where the 20th century rhetoric of motordom and industrialization reign supreme, Gateway Casinos soldiers on with a 70 million dollar casino to be plunked right beside the Delta side of the Massey Tunnel. But wait~Gateway Casinos insist this will “not be just about gambling but would provide an entertainment experience”.
The property is owned by a company of Ron Toigo of White Spot. For motordom a new parking lot will be created with 800 parking spaces and 200,000 square feet built to accommodate gambling. The same Delta Mayor and City Council still insisting on their ten lane overbuilt Massey Bridge (with one double salary dipping provincial liberal MLA who also picks up a pay cheque as a Delta Councillor) still want their casino, located in a spot easily accessible by car. What a surprise. The 1960’s are alive and well in Delta.
The Delta Optimist reports “Gateway hopes to begin construction this fall with a grand opening in 2020. The project includes a five-storey, 116-room hotel, meeting space, eateries and a casino with 500 slots, 24 gaming tables and several e-tables. There would be room for further gaming expansion.In a statement, the company notes the community throughout the process has been very engaged and provided valuable feedback that will continue to shape the look and feel of the project.”
It is a bit odd that the language used about the casino is very similar to the language used about the one-sided process to “engage” the community about the last Provincial government’s multi billion dollar Massey Bridge. Regardless, the Delta Mayor and Council have agreed to fast track this proposal, which will provide Delta with an additional two to three million dollars annually with their casino “cut”.
As Gateway casino states this will “grow the community’s economy” by
“creating new well-paying jobs in Delta while improving the entertainment and hospitality option in the community…“There is great potential in Delta and a Gateway entertainment destination, with a number of gaming and non-gaming attractions, on the Town and Country site would allow Delta to significantly advance its tourism strategy and deliver on the tourism objectives set out in the strategy.”
Imagine if a seniors’ centre or new rental housing was fast tracked with such enthusiasm or as quickly as this casino is. Despite all the bad news emerging about where casino money is actually from, the City of Delta hopes to have this casino before Council this month. If you can’t industrialize the Fraser River , you can still plunk casinos on it.
So last century.
My immediate reaction – Why are we building another cathedral of misery and crime?
See https://biv.com/article/2018/04/lawsuit-week-lawsuits-claim-common-pharmaceutical-amplifies-compulsive-gambling
How on earth are the employees who will be benefitting from these ‘well paying’ service sector jobs get to work if they don’t have a car? This location is in a transit desert, and certainly isn’t within walking distance of anything.
Good luck filling those jobs…
If they have not a car, they will get a car. Same as the mass of workers that live in Surrey, yet work at YVR all day and all night. Pilots, cabin crew, ticket agents, cleaning staff, restaurant staff, security staff, food-services staff, aircraft cleaners, airside staff, maintenance staff and baggage workers, etc. Buses and trains don’t run all night but the port and the airport does, so they drive.
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Reblogged this on Sandy James Planner.