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I am a young professional who lives in Northwest Columbus and works at Easton. I might make it to one or two hockey games a year, and probably just as many baseball games. Other than that, the only time I venture downtown or to the Arena District is for the Arts Festival and Red, White and Boom. I hear about all of these wonderful bars, restaurants, galleries, shopping, and other entertainment downtown, but I could never justify driving twenty minutes to get down there, and another twenty to find parking when I can take advantage of the excellent (and locally owned) restaurants, bars, shopping, and entertainment venues that are closer to me.
Then came the announcement that a casino would actually be built in the Arena District and I got excited. I am a poker player, and now I will have a place in town where I can play without going to a quasi-illegal club or a cash-based home game that could easily be robbed. Not only that, but my wife and I would have an excuse to frequent the locally-owned bars and restaurants downtown for dinner and drinks before hitting the tables.
From a moral standpoint, I can see why people who live downtown would object to a casino in their backyard, but what I don’t understand is the backlash from downtown businesses. This is an opportunity to attract a whole new customer base. Why are downtown businesses so against an entertainment venue that will attract new customers? Better question, if the casino is not built downtown, what are the proponents of the casino going to do in its place in order to attract customers like me who need more motivation to drive in from the burbs to spend money at your businesses?
Launched in August 2010, TheMetropreneur.com is a local online resource devoted to small business development and entrepreneurship. Its aim is to tell the stories of Central Ohio's business community, foster regional economic development and assist entrepreneurs with its resource-heavy focus.