Posted Sep 25, 2009, 2:47 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Surrey
Posts: 2,014
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so i found this an interesting article
gotta say i'm in favour of the city centre one
Quote:
Two more casinos proposed for Surrey
Surrey now has three applications for gaming facilities along the King George Highway corridor – including plans for two major destination casinos.
City council was just getting ready to consider an application for a community gaming facility in Newton, which according to a Leader straw poll conducted earlier this year is slated to fall on a split vote.
The application to perform $25 million in upgrades to the old bingo hall and mall at 72 Avenue and King George Highway is still expected to appear before council this year.
Now, council may have two other applications to consider, both major destination casinos, and both in keeping with the city’s current gaming policy.
The first proposal is located near the Days Inn at 9850 King George Highway, and could become part of an 80-storey development being pitched by developer Ralph Berezan. Depending on the scope, the project could be valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The second destination casino application is being brought forward by builder Bob Cheema, who plans on a convention centre, hotel and casino at 8 Avenue and 168 Street.
Out of the three, some councillors are speaking favourably about the Cheema application because of the convention centre aspect, its comparative distance from housing, and the proximity to the U.S. border.
The site is located on a 24-acre parcel of land and is surrounded by Highway 99, a park, and agricultural land reserve.
Coun. Tom Gill isn’t surprised by the number of casino applications currently before the city. He’s been hearing from the province that casino licences won’t be awarded readily. He’s also heard that the Boardwalk application in Newton has an advantage with Victoria because “they are already in the game, as it were.”
He said he likes the Berezan application because of its design, but he’s reluctant to approve a large casino so close to Simon Fraser University.
“The possibility of having SFU, city hall, shopping along with (the casino) doesn’t sit too well,” he said.
Gill has already said he’s opposed to the Boardwalk application in Newton.
“I think any gaming operation that comes into Surrey needs to leverage another significant city objective,” Gill said, adding that might be a five-star hotel or convention centre.
Coun. Barinder Rasode, who is also opposed to the Boardwalk application in Newton, said the B.C. Lottery Corp. would send out requests for proposal and choose a site on its merits.
The bingo hall application is for slots only, Rasode said, while the other two are full destination-style casinos with accompanying hotels.
Cheema’s proposal is valued at $100 million, and includes a 200-suite hotel and 800-seat convention centre along with the casino.
He told The Leader on Wednesday that even if the casino application is rejected, he plans to go ahead with the hotel and convention centre.
Mayor Dianne Watts hasn’t seen the specific proposals, but said she would like to see a casino in Surrey on the scale of Richmond’s River Rock.
“Personally, I’m not a gambler, but I like to see shows, theatre and music, and I think that’s one piece that’s certainly missing in Surrey.”
Minister responsible for gaming Rich Coleman told The Leader in early March he’d be reticent to award more casino applications.
“I think we’re pretty close to where we need to be,” he said at the time.
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