City officials provided an update on Tuesday on the Caesars Virginia casino project in Danville. Earlier this week, the Danville City Council was told that the project is awaiting bid proposals for a general contractor, which are due in January, according to senior VP of development for Caesars Entertainment Robert Livingston.
“Our goal is to select a contractor by the end of January,” Livingston said, according to WFXR. “We will be looking for a contractor with the capacity to mobilize quickly to get this project underway in the spring.”
The casino is set to be located at the former Dan River Mills industrial complex, in the Schoolfield area, which is undergoing abatement and demolition. Debris removal and material crushing will take place simultaneously with the new construction.
Voters in Danville approved the $500 million project last November. The casino is set to feature a 500 room hotel inspired by local scenery, a state-of-the-art casino floor, a Caesars Sportsbook, a World Series of Poker room, a new restaurant, and various entertainment offerings. Nine hundred construction jobs will be filled as well as 1,300 operational jobs.
Moreover, the casino resort will feature a spa, pool area, and a fitness center. Among its gaming offerings, the casino floor will feature more than 1,400 slot machines and table games. Meeting and convention space will total 40,000 square feet, with an entertainment venue to accommodate up to 2,500 guests.
“The Danville construction market is just not big enough on its own to cover everything needed for this project,” Livingston added, according to the previously cited news source. “We are excited about putting as many local folks to work on this project as humanly possible and for many years to come.” Thus, Caesars will engage with as many local contractors and suppliers as possible, but will also have to use outside parties for other aspects of the project.
Representatives from both national and regional construction firms were reportedly in Danville last week to meet with Caesars’ design and construction teams. A date for the groundbreaking for the casino will depend on the mobilization of the general contractor and the weather, according to the company.
While a Caesars team is still assessing the most economical way of removing the former building’s debris, likely to begin in March or April and into the summer months, this lengthy process will not slow down the project. “Construction will begin in other areas of the site,” Livingston told the Council.
Additionally, the senior VP of development reiterated Caesars’ commitment to providing working opportunities for minority-owned contractors in the project. “We are asking each general contractor bidding on this work to explain to us their track records in working with minority contractors,” he said, according to Danville Register & Bee.
