Caesars Virginia Delays Danville Casino Opening To 2024
May 5, 2022
The new Caesars Virginia casino project is experiencing a delay as the opening has been rescheduled from 2023 to sometime in 2024. Caesars Entertainment announced the postponement at the Tuesday night meeting with The Danville City Council.
The construction at the former textile site of Dan River Mills Schoolfield was expected to be completed by the second or third quarter of next year. However, it has become an "unrealistic goal" now. The Caesars Entertainment spokesperson claimed that some issues were holding back the initial plan.
"The December 1, 2023 anticipated opening date we all wanted, it’s going to be an unrealistic goal," said Robert Livingston, Caesars Entertainment’s Senior Vice President for Development. "It’s just not gonna happen."
Shortages, concrete problems
Among these issues are supply chain and labor shortages. Livingston said these are the main problems the company is facing right now.
"We have seen supply chain issues and other market forces that continue to wreak havoc," he said. According to him, these shortages are caused by the pandemic situation.
Additionally, Livingston pointed out the fact that there are some issues regarding the site that are slowing the project's completion.
"There’s a lot of concrete on that site," he said.
The company is planning to take the first step of preparing the land to make the site ready for construction. However, due to the leftover buildings, a massive clean-up is needed.
The construction requires more labor than expected. He said that the construction crews must tackle the big challenge of digging up 100 years’ worth of concrete from the previous remnants accumulated on the site.
He went on to explain the cause of the matter at hand. He said, "Apparently back in the day, if there was something that needed to be capped off, let’s just pour some concrete down the hole and cap it off, so we’re digging up a lot of concrete on the site."
Caesars remains optimistic
Despite the setbacks, Livingston assured everyone that Caesars Entertainment’s commitment to bringing their new excitement and best offers to the Danville residents would not cease.
"None of this has altered our commitment to Danville," he said.
The casino intends to greet players with 1,400 slot machines, 75 table games, a WSOP Poker Room with 16 tables, and their Caesars Sportsbook signature.
"We remain confident this project will open in 2024," he said. "No one is more motivated than Caesars to get this off the ground and begin generating revenue for the company and for the community."
In addition to the casino, the resort is expected to offer a total of 500 guestrooms, a 2,500-seat concert hall, and a meeting space spanning 40,000 square feet. The resort is also complete with the mandatory facilities of a spa and pool complex, retail shopping, and a variety of restaurants and bars.
Support from public officials
Virginia public officials gave their comments about the delay. The city leaders said that they understood the challenges and offered their support to Caesars Entertainment.
"They ran into issues that were not expected, but at the same time these things do happen," said Councilman Sherman Saunders.
The Virginia Lottery Board has recently approved a new bill that allows private-owned casinos in the state. Hard Rock Bristol was the first to receive the license.
So far, Caesars Virginia is the largest investment among the four commercial casino projects ongoing in the state. Caesars Entertainment expects to spend $500 million on construction and opening costs alone.
