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From The Dispatch:
Casino in Columbus is part of latest proposal for Ohio vote, sources say
By James NashTwo gambling companies that were on opposite sides of last year’s unsuccessful campaign to put a casino in southwestern Ohio are poised to join forces on a new measure to build four casinos in the state.
The proposal would include a casino in Columbus, likely in the Arena District. The capital city was not included in the previous four gambling-related statewide ballot measures, all of which failed but drew support in areas where casinos were proposed.
The net advantages are zero. Sure, they create jobs and minor tourist income, but they cost much more in social needs, increased police needs, increased poverty among chronic gamblers, increased corruption (government regulated, after all).
Plus, like I said: all the profits go to out-of-state owners, so they don’t spend the money here. We should support entertainment investment that has higher local economic multipliers. Much more sustainable.
By all means, let’s keep sending $1 billion+ of Ohioans’ money per year to our neighboring states that have casino gambling (and that $1 billion+ does not include Las Vegas, Atlantic City, etc).
I see lots of people saying they have better ideas to make money — but I don’t see anyone offering any details.
Of all the casinos I’ve been to across the country, I’ve only been to one truly crappy one – a riverboat casino in St. Louis. I’m thinking those who decry how ratty casinos are have spent almost zero time in any.
But hey, I’m just one of those craaaaazy people who think adults should be able to spend their own money as they see fit.
“Perhaps they should turn the Santa Maria into Columbus’ Riverboat Casino. Maybe it would become profitable…” Ok, that was funny…
Why don’t they use the proposed motorspeedway site at Cooper Stadium for a Casino and ditch the racetrack which is an incredibly bad idea for all of downtown?
If that were to pass I would not want to see it in Columbus proper at all.
no
Misskitty
that would be next to my home. I live downtown ;).. Downtown is already less than a mile from some of the most highest crime ridden neighborhoods in Columbus. I seriously doubt a casino would hurt. The people that always disagree only make things for complicated!
Walk downtown today and you see projects and development going on but in a downtown as big as Columbus it will take another 15 to 20 years before we can really call it a urban downtown. I say bring anything new and exciting to this “hole in city” area. I don’t want to be 40 before downtown gets exciting!
I think downtown has a good vibe going for it. As others pointed out, doing something simply for the sake of being new and exciting is the wrong approach.
Is the casino going to survive 40 years or more downtown? What kind of businesses will it encourage? If Vegas is seeing revenue loss, how will a Columbus casino fare in a struggling economy?
I’m sorry, but I can’t take someone wearing a boi-titty shirt seriously. To advocate “ANYTHING NEW” as a development strategy for downtown doesn’t win you any points with me, either.
I think we would be hard pressed to find any business with a guaranteed lifespan of 40 years or more in a downtown market other than a hospital, etc. It’s just not a realistic expectation. However, I do not think Downtown is the right location for a Casino, but I can see it on the outskirts.
Our theatres have been around for quite a bit there. Several downtown businesses are into their senior years. I don’t think it’s an unrealistic expectation.
We tend to be a throwaway society. I think it’s time to reconsider and start looking at what gives us a long term investment. Look at the issues facing City Center. There really isn’t much that can be to rehab that space. So what happens if the Casino goes under? Another empty building that will be hard to retrofit.
Stick with building up the mixed use development that could at least see businesses move in and out.
I know most on here will argue this is not NYC (where I am from) nor will it ever be. I think Columbus needs to step up its game…while the city is doing fine now we need to look to the future and look at our neighboring cities like Cleveland and Cincinnati with both cities decaying everyday. Columbus is in a state where everything around us seems to be falling apart. I’m sorry but its only a matter of time until it hits home.
And joev i am not that conservative….I like to show a little skin ;)
“Our theatres have been around for quite a bit there. Several downtown businesses are into their senior years. I don’t think it’s an unrealistic expectation.”
Sorry, I meant criteria for new businness and businesses that would draw people downtown, we just have too short of an attention span. It would absolutely be ideal to be able to sustain a long term business in a Downtown setting, unfortunatley it just doesn’t seem realistic especially when you are talking about a draw for people to come downtown. Perhaps we should look at Cincinnati and do an aquarium or zoo in the downtown market?
I think Columbus is in a far better position than our neighbors. Most cities, including Cincinnati and Cleveland, in Ohio have been traditionally one or few industry towns with little to no diversity.
Columbus, in part because of the early decision to locate the State Capitol here, has been much more diversified in it’s industries providing a wide range of job opportunities. If we play the cards right and begin playing to the Columbus Metro angle and work with the surrounding communities, I doubt Columbus will become anything like the other 2 C’s.
I understand the argument that casinos create social ills. That point is pretty much impossible to deny. My problem is this–why allow people to drive to the border and get their gambling fix and then come back to Ohio more destitute with our state having to deal with the effects of their problems? Granted, this is much more of an issue in Cincinnati where casinos are basically in the suburbs just across the border in IN or KY, but it makes absolutely no sense to take all of the downside and none of the upside (tax $$$).
Urbanboi Says:
February 27th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Misskitty
that would be next to my home. I live downtown ;).. Downtown is already less than a mile from some of the most highest crime ridden neighborhoods in Columbus. I seriously doubt a casino would hurt. The people that always disagree only make things for complicated!”
See I don’t think that is you’re back yard Boi . Do you live in Franklinton Or Downtown ?
It is separated but a river and I think that area personally has a lot of potential for it minus a casino.
It has plenty of area for shops and restaurants. It could be a great area and throwing a casino on it the way it is right now is the worst thing possible. We need and want improvements not a casino . I think you may be missing the bigger picture here but new is cool when it don’t have ill effects on society and the places we live. I am not anti- Casino I am anti where people think they should be
ETA: what about the property taxes down there they would go way up right? So really as high as they could get don’t you think the revenue will end up being used to supplement new programs for people that can no longer afford to be there ? There are many things that go into this that I think it is beyond you or I or anyone that knows nothing about urban planning.
#57
jeffz Says:
February 27th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
I understand the argument that casinos create social ills. That point is pretty much impossible to deny. My problem is this–why allow people to drive to the border and get their gambling fix and then come back to Ohio more destitute with our state having to deal with the effects of their problems? Granted, this is much more of an issue in Cincinnati where casinos are basically in the suburbs just across the border in IN or KY, but it makes absolutely no sense to take all of the downside and none of the upside (tax $$$).
same reason you have to go to a state store to buy booze, or be 18 to smoke, or wear a helmet on a motorcycle in some states or why we put child proof caps on medicine bottles…because if you make dumb things/ideas too easy for dumb people to get to them, you have more social ills. Its not the nanny state, it is the oh god protect me from the idiots and lunatics. I fear crime less than I fear some poor broke bastard who keeps buying lotto tickets and thinking today is my lucky day….hoo boy a sucker really is born ever minute.
miss kitty wrote:
ETA: what about the property taxes down there they would go way up right? So really as high as they could get don’t you think the revenue will end up being used to supplement new programs for people that can no longer afford to be there ? There are many things that go into this that I think it is beyond you or I or anyone that knows nothing about urban planning.
most of the new downtown housing is tax abated for 10 years, so the rest of us get to help carry their free loading/riding selves