Petersburg voters pass $1.4B casino proposal

PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) -- Petersburg seems to be on its way to having a casino as city voters appear to have overwhelmingly approved the proposed $1.4 billion project. With seven of seven precincts reporting, nearly 82% of voters have approved the referendum to bring a mixed-used Live! Gaming & Entertainment District, which is set to be built on a 92.5-acre development site located off Interstate 95 at Wagner Road along Brasfield Parkway. With this margin, city leaders and representatives from the project's developers -- Cordish Companies and Bruce Smith Enterprise -- declared victory after 9 p.m. on Tuesday. The vote on the project comes after Richmond voters rejected two efforts to bring a casino to the city. Per Cordish, the project would help bring more than $10 billion in economic benefits to the region, create over 10,000 new jobs and $1.1 billion in total tax revenue. If certified, Petersburg would have Virginia’s fifth casino. All election results are unofficial until certified. This story is breaking. Stay with 8News for updates.

PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) -- Petersburg seems to be on its way to having a casino as city voters appear to have overwhelmingly approved the proposed $1.4 billion project.

With seven of seven precincts reporting, nearly 82% of voters have approved the referendum to bring a mixed-used Live! Gaming & Entertainment District, which is set to be built on a 92.5-acre development site located off Interstate 95 at Wagner Road along Brasfield Parkway.

With this margin, city leaders and representatives from the project's developers -- Cordish Companies and Bruce Smith Enterprise -- declared victory after 9 p.m. on Tuesday.

The vote on the project comes after Richmond voters rejected two efforts to bring a casino to the city.

Per Cordish, the project would help bring more than $10 billion in economic benefits to the region, create over 10,000 new jobs and $1.1 billion in total tax revenue. If certified, Petersburg would have Virginia’s fifth casino.

All election results are unofficial until certified.

This story is breaking. Stay with 8News for updates.