🏗️🎰 Dem Dey Plan Di Future Big Time
City Council, as dem expect, don quick quick put two big tori projects for fast lane on Monday night. One na di proposed $560 million casino-resort wey go dey for South Side, and another one na $30 million amphitheater wey go dey for Downtown riverfront. 🏙️💸
Mayor Levar M. Stoney, afta di meeting, salute di council for di way dem take put eye for di two entertainment projects, e call dem “generational-investment projects for our city.” E talk sey both projects go create plenty work, boost tourism and bring in fresh money wey go helep City Hall deal with wahala for areas like climate change, housing, public safety, health, public infrastructure and education. 🌆🌍
For di casino project wey voters jus small reject for 2021, 2nd District Councilwoman Katherine Jordan na she alone talk sey e no gree for second attempt to bring di proposed gambling heaven, hotel, concert venue and public park to 100 acres for Bells Road interchange of Interstate 95. 🏢🛣️
She jus no gree for resolution wey name Maryland-based Black media giant Urban One as di city’s preferred operator for di casino, but she vote support for two other casino-related laws wey outline di benefits wey Urban One and its new partner, Kentucky-based Churchill Downs, go provide. 🎲🎫
Di council vote na di beginning of di wahala process to again put di casino matter before voters, wey must approve di project for e to become reality, as e don happen for four other Virginia cities. 🗳️🚀
That one include make dem carry di city’s latest casino package go Virginia Lottery, di state’s casino regulator, wey happen Tuesday, as Free Press don learn. Once di Lottery’s board approve sey di city fit hold referendum, city officials fit den ask di Richmond Circuit Court to give order to put am for di November general election ballot. 📋🖊️
Before di vote, 8th District Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell, wey don dey push for second vote, dey hype di 1,300 new jobs and more than $30 million a year in new tax revenue wey di project go bring, wey she talk sey go bring better thing for her district and di whole city. She also mention sey di city go get $25 million payment if voters approve di casino. 💼💰
Others point out sey di city go get new revenue without using any taxpayer money. “I dey in support of project wey no go cost us anything,” na so 3rd District Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert talk. “This na something wey fit really helep us bring our tax rate down. We gats to say yes to projects like dis for us to fit do am.” 🔄💡
Fourth District Councilwoman Kristen M. Nye talk sey voters receive wrong information for 2021 sey Richmond dey give away land and invest for di project “and we no do. This na jus revenue for us. I never see deal like this since I join council.” 💼💵
Two community activists, Allan-Charles Chipman and Debbie Rowe, beg di council to reject di casino law and respect di 2021 referendum results. 👫🚫
Also on Monday, di council clear road for di proposed 7,500-seat amphitheater development wey dem dey project sey by summer 2025, e go bring big outdoor concerts to nine-acre site for off 2nd Street wey go overlook di river near Belle Isle. 🏞️🎤
Di vote allow di Stoney administration to help pay back di cost of di development wey Red Light Ventures, company wey R. Coran Capshaw dey lead, go handle by giving back to di company di new and additional real estate, admissions and di state share of sales taxes wey di project go create for di site. 🌁🌆
Before di vote, council members, including 7th District Councilwoman Cynthia I. Newbille, ask administration to promise sey dem go try shine light on di history of di people wey dem force to work as slave for that site. 🏦🌉
E do so afta Joseph Rogers, wey na former worker of di American Civil War Museum, talk sey dem don remove memorial markers to people wey dem force to work as slave for di Tredegar Iron Works without anybody know. 👥🗺️
That night sef, Council extend di real estate tax relief for old people and disabled people to benefit those wey dey earn up to $70,000 a year. Also, Council approve honorary street signs for two pastors for di better thing wey dem do for di city. Dem be former Mayor Dwight C. Jones, wey be senior pastor of First Baptist Church of South Richmond, and di late Rev. Robert L. Taylor of Fourth Baptist Church for Church Hill. 🛣️🔖
Di street sign for Dr. Jones na to recognize im service as mayor and as former member of di Virginia General Assembly, and for serving 50 years as senior pastor of First Baptist, di oldest Black Baptist church for Richmond area. 🏤⛪
Di sign for Dr. Taylor na to remember di crucial role e play for Richmond during di Civil Rights Movement and im leadership in di creation of job training and development program for people wey no get work. 💼📚
NOW IN ENGLISH
🏗️🎰 Planning The Future Big Time
The City Council, as expected, has fast-tracked two major projects on Monday night. One is the proposed $560 million casino-resort to be situated on the South Side, and another is the $30 million amphitheater slated for the Downtown riverfront. 🏙️💸
Mayor Levar M. Stoney, after the meeting, praised the council for their focus on the two entertainment projects, referring to them as “generational-investment projects for our city”. He stated that both developments would create a surge of jobs, boost tourism and generate new revenue that would assist City Hall in tackling challenges in areas such as climate change, housing, public safety, health, public infrastructure, and education. 🌆🌍
Regarding the casino project that was narrowly rejected by voters in 2021, 2nd District Councilwoman Katherine Jordan was the only one to vote against a second attempt to bring the proposed gambling paradise, hotel, concert venue, and public park to 100 acres off the Bells Road interchange of Interstate 95. 🏢🛣️
She only opposed a resolution naming Maryland-based Black media giant Urban One as the city’s preferred operator for the casino, but voted in favor of two other casino-related ordinances that outline the benefits that Urban One and its new partner, Kentucky-based Churchill Downs, would provide. 🎲🎫
The council’s vote begins the complex process of once again presenting the casino issue to the voters, who must approve the project for it to become a reality, as has occurred in four other Virginia cities. 🗳️🚀
This includes submitting the city’s latest casino proposal to the Virginia Lottery, the state’s casino regulator, which happened on Tuesday, as the Free Press has learned. Once the Lottery’s board approves the city’s request to hold a referendum, city officials can then ask the Richmond Circuit Court to issue an order to include it in the November general election ballot. 📋🖊️
Before the vote, 8th District Councilwoman Reva M. Trammell, who has spearheaded the effort for a second vote, touted the 1,300 new jobs and more than $30 million a year in new tax revenue that the project would generate, which she said would bring positive benefits for her district and the entire city. She also noted that the city would receive a $25 million payment if voters approve the casino. 💼💰
Others cited that the city would gain new revenue without using any taxpayer dollars. “I’m in support of a project that isn’t going to cost us anything,” stated 3rd District Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert. “This is something that can actually help us bring our tax rate down. We’ve got to say yes to projects like this in order for us to do so.” 🔄💡
Fourth District Councilwoman Kristen M. Nye said that voters received misinformation in 2021 that Richmond was giving away land and investing in the project “and we weren’t. This is purely revenue for us. I haven’t seen a deal like this since I’ve been on council.” 💼💵
Two community activists, Allan-Charles Chipman and Debbie Rowe, urged the council to reject the casino ordinance and respect the 2021 referendum results. 👫🚫
Also on Monday, the council cleared the way for the proposed 7,500-seat amphitheater development that is projected to bring, by summer 2025, major outdoor concerts to a nine-acre site off 2nd Street that would overlook the river near Belle Isle. 🏞️🎤
The vote authorizes the Stoney administration to help repay the cost of the development that Red Light Ventures, a company led by R. Coran Capshaw, would undertake by rebating to the company the new and additional real estate, admissions and the state share of sales taxes the project would create at the site. 🌁🌆
Before the vote, council members, including 7th District Councilwoman Cynthia I. Newbille, sought administration assurances that some effort would be made to illuminate the history of the enslaved people who once worked at the site. 🏦🌉
She did so after Joseph Rogers, a former employee of the American Civil War Museum, noted that memorial markers to enslaved persons who worked in the Tredegar Iron Works had been removed without any notice. 👥🗺️
That night, Council extended the real estate tax relief for the elderly and disabled to benefit those with incomes up to $70,000 a year. Also, Council approved honorary street signs for two ministers for their significant contributions to the city. They are former Mayor Dwight C. Jones, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of South Richmond, and the late Rev. Robert L. Taylor of Fourth Baptist Church in Church Hill. 🛣️🔖
The street sign for Dr. Jones would serve as recognition of his service as mayor and as a former member of the Virginia General Assembly, as well as for serving 50 years as senior pastor of First Baptist, the Richmond area’s oldest Black Baptist church. 🏤⛪
The sign for Dr. Taylor would remember the crucial role he played in Richmond during the Civil Rights Movement and his leadership in the creation of a job training and development program for unemployed adults. 💼📚
