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Following the passage of Issue 2 yesterday, Penn National Gaming announced that they will be moving forward with the Hollywood Casino Columbus development on the west side as soon as possible.
“We have begun demolition of the physical structures, and are in the process of determining the extent of the environmental issues that will need to be addressed before groundbreaking, which is scheduled by the end of 2010, said Eric Schippers, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for Penn National in a press release issued yesterday. “We look forward to working with the city of Columbus, as well as neighboring jurisdictions and the community, on planning and pre-construction matters.”
Penn is budgeting $400 million for the development of the Hollywood Casino Columbus which will open in the second half of 2012. It will include 180,000 sqft of gaming space, 4,000 slot machines, 100 table games and 25 poker tables as well as a 4,000-space parking garage, entertainment lounge and multiple food and beverage facilities.
More information can be found online at www.hollywoodcasinocolumbus.com.
@Senator Tankerbell An empty autoparts factory is a residential area?
Last November, I voted against the casino bill. Yesterday, I voted to move it to the West Side, because every West Sider I talked to told me they wanted it there.
@joev, that is total bs almost all of my neighbors were whole heartedly against it. There are a lot of residential neighborhoods directly adjacent to the casino site. If every West Sider you heard from told you they wanted it there, I know what paper you read.
@Tigertree – how is it BS, exactly? I understand you don’t want the casino on the west side. Either do I. But people who live there told me they’ve been waiting years for something to spark some redevelopment around there, and they think the casino might help. And to be honest, it’s not like the Delphi Plant was going to get redeveloped anytime soon otherwise.
Was there really a good choice on the ballot?
There was a good choice on the ballot last time. Shoveling this on the community least able to fight it and publishing article after article claiming that they can’t seem to find one resident who isn’t on their knees begging for the casino to be built on the west side is disingenuous at best. Several of us on the forum live there and have been voicing that repeatedly.
My friends and family on the West Side did not want the casino here. They knew immediately that this situation was only to favor big business. No one on my street wanted it on the West side either I went to every door and asked. The only person I talked to that really wanted it on the west side was a local dealer not a card dealer if you catch my drift. He said that he could not wait to be high rolling up in da casino. Pimp
I agree 100% Tigertree.
Like I said, I think any casino in Columbus (or Cleveland or Toledo or Cincinnati) is going to be a bad thing. I wish the ballot initiative would have been to remove a Columbus casino altogether.
I’m speaking of people I actually TALKED to. Not on Internet forums and not in articles I read. I’m not taking any cues from the Dispatch here. I don’t really read it, except for a few articles online. And with the statewide votes all fully in favor of Issue 2, I don’t think the Dispatch had much to do with the issue’s passage.
Taking on victimhood arguments isn’t going to win a lot of battles in the future. The situation sucks all around. I’m not sure why you think it sucks any more on the West Side than it would in the Arena District.
There’s no need to worry, the casino won’t be finished until 2012. Some of you must not have been watching the History Channel the past year; the world is going to end in 2012. Problem solved.
I think having the local paper being the main source of news going out to inform voters statewide had a lot to do with the statewide vote. So while you might not be taking cues, the Cleveland Plain Dealer probably was…
Look, there is no battle here, I admit it’s over, but I don’t like the way this was pushed through and as someone who invested in a home in the area I think I have the right to say that.
And yes, frankly, I do think the AD site would have been a better option. I think there would have been more oversight on the construction and design. I think the chances of ending up with a building designed to fit in with the neighborhood as opposed to one that recognizes the benefit of standing out would have been higher. I think the hotel stipulation was a good thing that would have increased the chance that casino goers did more than go to the casino.
It’s pretty obvious – the arena district is an entire area designed for entertainment. You have an arena, a ballpark, a movie theatre, dozens of bars, restaurants, clubs, etc. People go there for entertainment. A casino is an entertainment destination – not a tool for creating an economic boom. Why in the world would a casino make more sense in a place without hotels and heavy foot traffic than it does in an area where people are already going with the explicit purpose being to have a good time?
Has anyone seen the actual voting breakdown on this issue across the state?
Senator Tankerbell Says: the arena district is an entire area designed for entertainment. You have an arena, a ballpark, a movie theatre, dozens of bars, restaurants, clubs, etc. People go there for entertainment.
There are also quite a few office workers and residents in the Arena District as well. There is a large focus on entertainment, but it’s really more of a mixed-use neighborhood than anything.
Senator Tankerbell Says: Has anyone seen the actual voting breakdown on this issue across the state?
You can load it up here: http://vote.sos.state.oh.us/pls/enrpublic/f?p=130:15:0
All counties were in favor of passing Issue 2. They must all be reading the Dispatch.
Walker Says:
There are also quite a few office workers and residents in the Arena District as well. There is a large focus on entertainment, but it’s really more of a mixed-use neighborhood than anything.
True – but the offices and residents are there because of the entertainment. Not the other way around.
I don’t know if that’s entirely true. I imagine most people and companies weigh a variety of factors when choosing a location to live or set up an office.
Walker: the Arena District is definitely a mixed use neighborhood, but is primarily entertainment. The Delphi site was industrial backing up to commerical and residential. Which one seems like a better choice (if you didn’t know the area, as much of those who voted on it didn’t) for an entertainment complex/casino?
Like the others, I’m a bit disappointed in the outcome, but we’re all trying to make the best of what we still perceive to be a bad situation by being a part of the solution. Unfortunately, with no organized opposition we didn’t stand a chance. Have asked this on other similar threads, but have yet to get an answer from anyone. Who do I need to contact in order to stay involved in the process of making sure the west side is developed in a sustainable way?
Walker said:
I don’t know if that’s entirely true. I imagine most people and companies weigh a variety of factors when choosing a location to live or set up an office.
I’m not saying people choose to put in a business office because there are entertainment options nearby. What I’m saying is that that entire area is a viable place for business and residents to now be because it was first developed as an entertainment district. Nobody was pushing and shoving to set down roots in that area until the arena and everything else showed up there.
swampkitty:
Have asked this on other similar threads, but have yet to get an answer from anyone. Who do I need to contact in order to stay involved in the process of making sure the west side is developed in a sustainable way?
I don’t think that there is any kind of unified front pushing for the area to be revitalized effectively and logically.
@Walker, like I said, they probably were not all reading it, but I would venture to guess that their papers were taking cues (or syndication) from it.
The impact will be mixed. On the West Side, we’ll see some positive economic activity, especially during construction. Yes, we’ll get some jobs and economic spinoff, but we’ll also see gambling addictions, foreclosures and money spent at the casino and not on nearby business. Plus, it will be hard to counter the new image of the West Side as the Casino District. I discuss our “New Normal” on my blog:
http://westsidestorycolumbus.wordpress.com/