The developers behind the proposed Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia resort project in Petersburg have assembled their referendum campaign team. This November, city voters will decide whether the $600 million initial phase to bring a commercial casino to the area will move forward. The Cordish Companies, a Baltimore-based gaming and hospitality firm known for its Live!-branded casinos and entertainment districts, is the preferred gaming developer for the City of Petersburg.
Early voting in Virginia will commence in just over a month, presenting local voters in Petersburg with a ballot question regarding the approval of the commercial casino project at a site off Interstate 95 at Wagner Road along Brasfield Parkway. Should a simple majority of voters support the Live! casino proposal, Cordish and development partner Bruce Smith Enterprises will proceed with applying for a gaming license from the Virginia Lottery, which regulates casinos and sports betting in the state.
In an effort to mobilize support, Cordish and Bruce Smith have announced a campaign aimed at garnering voter approval for the project, which they argue will revitalize Petersburg’s economy. According to the United States Census Bureau, 22.2% of Petersburg’s population lives below the federal poverty level, with individual incomes less than $15,000 per year or a family of four earning below $32,000.
Cordish and Bruce Smith have appointed prominent local community activists Ja’Scotta Jefferson and Preston Page as co-campaign managers for the 2024 Petersburg casino referendum. They believe Jefferson and Page, who have a track record in community engagement and strategic communication, will be instrumental in advocating for the project.
“Bringing this casino resort project to Petersburg is more than entertainment — it’s an opportunity to boost our local economy, create sustainable jobs, and generate much-needed revenue for community projects and services,” said Page. “For too long Petersburg has been overlooked by major economic development projects. I am excited to play a part in making this dream become a reality for Petersburg and continue to thoughtfully find ways to create community-changing opportunities for residents.”
Cordish and Bruce Smith aim to invest $600 million to establish a 200-room hotel featuring eight restaurants, a resort-style pool, 35,000 square feet of convention space, a 3,000-seat concert hall, and a casino floor housing approximately 1,600 slot machines, 50 live dealer table games, a 15-table poker room, and a sportsbook.
In a community where the median household income is less than $50,000 and per capita income falls below $30,000, the developers behind Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia assert that the resort will offer hope for a better future to thousands of city residents. The casino is projected to employ 1,500 people with average wages and benefits of $70,000, while the combined economic impact from jobs and casino revenue would contribute an estimated $2.8 billion in economic stimulus to the region over the first decade.
“A project such as this will bring new positive change and economic benefits to the City of Petersburg,” Jefferson remarked. “Petersburg is a hidden gem. It’s time to let it shine.”
Historically, Petersburg’s economy was anchored by the cultivation and manufacturing of tobacco, with the British-American Tobacco Co. (BAT) and its successor, Brown and Williamson Tobacco Co. (B&W), serving as the primary employers and taxpayers for many years. However, the city’s economic decline began in 1985 when B&W shuttered its Petersburg operations to consolidate business in Georgia, leading to urban decay, increased unemployment, crime, and property abandonment, which exacerbated racial and social issues.
