A Virginia lawmaker has filed legislation that, if approved, would bring an entertainment complex with a casino, hotel and conference center to Tysons.
State Sen. Dave Marsden introduced the bill about a year after bringing forth a similar plan to build the casino in Reston. Marsden ultimately withdrew that legislation.
The complex, Marsden said, would be located in Tysons on the west side of Route 7, near the Spring Hill Metro station and Dulles Access Road. It would be located where a car dealership used to be.
Marsden said the dealership “has virtually no chance of being resurrected.”
If the legislation makes it through the General Assembly, and Gov. Glenn Youngkin signs it, the project would appear on a ballot referendum, giving voters the final say.
NBC4 was the first to report the details of the project.
“This would be a spectacular source of revenue for both the Commonwealth and Fairfax County,” Marsden told WTOP. “I think far exceeding the other casinos in the Commonwealth, and perhaps MGM (at National Harbor) for sure.”
The initiative, Marsden said, would help bolster the economy at a time when the county is “seeing reduced revenues, we’re seeing increased costs in a number of areas beyond what normal inflation would be, we’re losing $150 million a year going across the river to MGM.”
There are some people, Marsden conceded, who may not “like the image of gambling … they see Fairfax as a residential kind of community.”
In a letter to Fairfax County’s General Assembly delegation earlier this month, the McLean Citizens Association said that “many members of MCA are concerned about this initiative. Accordingly, the MCA Board has voted to express its opposition to legislation that would allow a gaming casino in Fairfax County.”
But Marsden said the county is pressed to find alternative revenue streams.
“Everybody who has called me and emailed me, upset about doing a casino, I’ve asked them, ‘What other ideas do you have to deal with the county’s revenue shortfalls, to pay for Metro, to pay for schools?'” Marsden said. “How are we going to deal with some of the lost revenue from our commercial real estate?”
Jeff McKay, chairman of Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors, said in a statement he’s “keeping an open mind until more facts are presented.”
“We need to know details such as how much revenue a casino would generate, where that revenue would go, and any other ways this could benefit county residents,” McKay said. “From my understanding of the current law, Fairfax County would get far less in new tax revenue than the state would. I also believe a stand-alone casino is a bad idea, so knowing what else this includes is essential to fully understand.”
If a referendum is approved, McKay said, a possible casino would still be subject to Fairfax County’s “full land use process.”
In a separate statement, Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert said, “The Vienna Town Council is unanimously opposed to a casino coming to Tysons and to any proposed legislation for one in this area.
With the location in such close proximity to the Town of Vienna, we are very concerned about the safety and wellbeing of our residents and the harmful economic impacts a casino may have on the Town. A casino is not a good fit for the family friendly community of Vienna.”
Marsden said the project is estimated to bring thousands of jobs and millions in revenue to the region.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
