The Bristol Resort and Casino proposal was announced back in September a new venue set to be located on a 49-acre site where the Bristol Mall (Bristol, Virginia) site has been empty since late 2017(pictured).
The plans are ambitious and would bring employment as well as revenues to the region, however, church groups are not happy with the thought of gambling in their area.
However, last Sunday night, hundreds of individuals gathered in the Cumberland Square Park to rally against the casino proposal. And the charge was leaded by churches from the Tri-Cities including the Belle Meadows Baptist Church, the Fellowship Chapel Parkway Baptist Worship Center, Tennessee Avenue Baptist Church and the Victory Baptist Church.
The pastors argue that a casino gambling venue would bring “evil” to the city and the region, creating a negative effect on the economy.
But developers Clyde Stacy and Jim McGlothlin don’t think the same, they have plans to create the resort casino, which will be home to a gambling venue as well as a hotel and conference center. The project would create around 2,000 employment positions in the beginning and then increase to over 5,000 within a seven-year time frame.
The final decision remains within the hands of the Virginia General Assembly. Before any development can take place, the Assembly will need to legalize casino gambling in 2019.
