Proposed Delaware County casino could face hurdles
Saturday, June 5, 2010
BRYAN BULLOCK
Staff Writer
An investor approached a Delaware County official about a large project last summer  an inquiry that now appears to be related to an Indian casino a company is considering building in the Sunbury area.
Delaware County Economic Development Director Gus Comstock met a representative of an Ohio investment and development company about a project in that area, but a casino was never mentioned, Comstock said.
River Trails, the company in question, has confirmed it is working with an Oklahoma-based American Indian tribe to bring a casino to Ohio. The company won’t say where it hopes to build the gaming center, but investors have told the tribe the preferred site is near the intersection of Interstate 71 and U.S. 36/Ohio 37.
The Cincinnati-based company that pitched the project to the tribe, the Delaware Tribe of Indians, declined to be interviewed. However, in a brief statement e-mailed to the Gazette, River Trails defined talks about the casino project as “very preliminary.â€Â
“As the tribe owns no land in Ohio, it is extremely premature to speculate about possible locations for any (gaming) facility it may someday wish to operate in the state,†the River Trails company statement reads. “When and if the time is right to do that, we will proceed with a commitment to ensuring a fair and equitable resolution for all concerned parties, in particular the taxpayers of Ohio.â€Â
The casino, if constructed, would be the first tribal casino and possibly the first casino of any kind in the state. Voter-approved casinos are scheduled to open between 2012 and 2013 in Columbus and three other Ohio cities, but River Trails investors have indicated its tribal casino could be open sooner.
News reports about the plan have left Delaware County officials scratching their heads. All three county commissioners said they have not been contacted about the casino proposal and still know little to nothing about it.
Comstock, in June of 2009, communicated with Tom Dix, one of the investors behind the casino, and made arrangements to meet him, according to documents obtained through a public record request. Dix, a retired financial consultant who was born in Delaware County but now lives in southeastern Ohio, is one of several people with River Trails who have met the Delaware Tribe in Oklahoma to discuss the joint project.
READ MORE:
http://www.delgazette.com/local.asp?ID=2058&Story=3
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
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.