March 24, 2023
The population of Danville are no strangers to the familiar smoke stacks that stand at the former Dan River Schoolfield site. For the past few years, the community has been head over heels that a brand new Caesars Casino will replace the site and generate a lot of brand new opportunities for the city itself.
According to Arnold G Hendrix, Danville’s public information officer, Danville was chosen for the placement of the casino in an effort to help the city’s economic struggle. “In 2019, the General Assembly passed legislation to allow three cities with economic challenges — Danville, Bristol and Portsmouth — to hold local referendums on whether to allow casino gaming. Governor Ralph Northam signed the legislation into law in March 22, 2019,” Hendrix said.
In May 2020, Danville’s City Council chose Caesars Entertainment to be the new casino operator; however, the casino will operate under the name Caesars Virginia. A while later in the month of November, Danville voters showed overwhelming support for the casino.
Since the casino is still being built, a temporary building, that is slated to open this summer, is being placed on the land and will be used until the main building is finished.
The casino’s construction began in Aug. 2022. When questioned about what the building would include, Hendrix created a long list. “The plans consist of a 500-room hotel and a world-class casino gaming floor with over 1,300 slots, 85 live table games, 24 electronic table games, a WSOP™ poker room as well as a Caesars Sportsbook,” Hendrix said.
The resort itself will also include a full-service spa, pool, restaurants and bars, a 2,500-seat-state-of-the-art live entertainment theater, as well as 40,000 square feet of convention space. The date of completion is still unknown but it is anticipated to finish in late 2024.
Since the casino is such a new environment for those in Danville many ask how many jobs it will generate. “Caesars is looking to fill around 450 jobs for the temporary casino. The permanent resort will bring around 1,300 jobs once it’s opened, and during construction it’s estimated an addition of 900 construction jobs,” Hendrix stated. The compensation for full-time employees including wages, tips, and benefits will be $50,000 to $55,000.
In Dec. 2020, Caesars paid $15 million towards Danville that went towards both the new police station and the casino. When the casino is fully operational, the city will receive approximately $38 million each year in tax revenue. The money the city gains will be invested in local priorities like education, public safety, and other economic developments.
The casino is expected to attract up to 2 million tourists once it officially opens. The Danville City Government staff have made contact with traffic studies alongside Caesars to prepare for the increase of tourism.
Overall, the casino is set to be an exciting economic addition to Danville.
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