ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – Ever since Roanoke City Council’s announcement last year, people and lawmakers have shared their opposition to the idea of a casino.
Mayor Cobb said it is unlikely to see any progress in a casino that would be placed in the Burglund Center in 2026, but the entertainment district focus group led by city councilman Phazhon Nash wanted to find things people wanted to bring to the city.
“We really wanted to be able to answer some of those questions and like I said, pick our participants’ brains and really figure out what do they see this being in the future,” Nash explained.
A concern Nash addressed during the meeting was safety and security both at the Berglund Center and in the surrounding neighborhood.
Nash brought in Danville Police Chief Chris Wiles to share insights from Caesars Virginia’s operation in Danville.
According to Chief Wiles, the casino has not negatively impacted crime in the community.
Wiles said in the casino’s first full year being operational, his department responded to 288 call.
Many of which he said were responses to individuals who were intoxicated.
Roanoke Police Chief Scott Booth also attended the sessions, presenting the department’s policing strategies that could be implemented in a potential entertainment district.
“We do something called neighborhood policing here in the city of Roanoke,” Chief Booth noted, describing the community-focused approach that has proven effective in both Richmond and Danville.
During community breakout sessions, residents shared their vision for the entertainment district. The responses reveal priorities far different from a casino:
- Family-friendly activities that welcome both adults and children
- Cultural preservation, particularly celebrating the history and heritage of the Northeast community
Nash said the council is deliberately slowing its push to get Roanoke on Virginia’s list of eligible casino localities.
WDBJ7 asked Nash if the shift meant the city would stop paying for a Casino Lobbyist in Richmond.
“We’ll have to evaluate that. I can’t say right now,” he said. “We’re going to allow this focus group to play out through all the various sessions that we have planned and then from there and some more community engagement, we’ll decide what’s viable, what do we have the support to do, or the next destination or the next idea to explore.”
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