Caesars Virginia isn’t scheduled to open until the fourth quarter of 2023, with construction slated to start later this year.
But the casino, estimated to cost $400 million, has already spurred optimism in Danville, Virginia, a town of just over 40,000 in Pittsylvania County near the border of North Carolina.
“The casino will have a tremendous impact on the city in terms of hundreds of new, decent-paying jobs, increased revenue to the city, and spin-off economic development,” said Danville City Manager Ken Larking in an email.
Las Vegas-based Marnell Companies, an architectural firm responsible for the Bellagio in Las Vegas, will design the casino. It will be located on the site of a former 85-acre industrial complex, Dan River Mills, and is already spurring investments. On May 10, Danville announced that the historic White Mill building, along the banks of Dan River, will be developed for commercial and residential use by the Wisconsin-based Alexander Company.
“Both sites have been symbols of economic failure for many years,” Larking said. “The fact that they are on a path to redevelopment changes the narrative for Danville. We are a city with an incredible amount of potential.”
Larking added that while the White Mill building could provide housing for casino workers, “we are not providing an incentive or requiring the casino to provide an incentive for housing at the White Mill.”
A spokesman for Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment, Robert Jarrett, said construction of the casino will generate 900 jobs, and that 1,300 will be employed once Caesars Virginia opens. According to the Virginia Employment Commission, the March unemployment rate in Danville was 7.9%, compared to 5.3% in March of 2020.
In a statement, Caesars Entertainment said Danville was selected primarily for its “character” and its determination to remake the city.
“Additionally, Danville provided an opportunity for a regional expansion into an underserved market area,” the statement read. “Approximately 10.5 million people live within three hours of the proposed resort.”
The gaming operator has already impacted Danville’s business community. According to Alexis Ehrhardt, CEO of the Danville Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce, Caesars Entertainment’s investment meshes with the business organization’s mission to grow the local economy.
“They (Caesars) have been an active partner with the Chamber, our higher education institutions, and a variety of other community stakeholders since the city selected them,” Eberhardt said, “and we are excited about the future development that the casino will attract.”
