The Las Vegas-based casino company that operates Edgewater Casino at the Plaza of Nations is taking its next step to build a massive casino complex adjacent to B.C. Place Stadium.
Paragon Holdings will have its application heard Dec. 16 by the city’s development permit board to move its existing casino licence to a vacant lot at 39 Smithe St. The proposed 695,000-sq. foot complex will include two hotels and restaurants.
“I’m sure there will be a lot of conditions put on our development permit, and we’re prepared for that,” said Tamara Hicks, director of corporate affairs and strategic communications for Paragon.
Originally, Paragon wanted to double the 75 gaming tables at Edgewater to 150 and almost triple its 600 slots to 1,500 in what was to be a $500-million mega casino planned for the site on Smithe Street.
But in April 2011, city council rejected Paragon’s request to increase tables and slots but allowed the company to relocate to Smithe Street with its current complement of tables and slots.
Council also agreed to a moratorium on applications to expand gambling until the provincial government and the B.C. Lottery Corporation undertakes a “comprehensive public consultation” on expanded gambling in Vancouver.
The city’s communications department declined a request from the Courier to speak to any members of the development permit board about Paragon’s application. Instead, the city emailed a statement saying “the outcome could either be approval of the staff recommendations, approval with modification of the staff recommendations, deferral to allow for additional information or other processes to take place, or refusal of the application.”
Hicks spoke to the Courier a few hours before anti-casino group Vancouver Not Vegas! was to hold a news conference related to Paragon’s application. Sandy Garossino of the coalition wouldn’t comment on details until the conference.
Paragon’s amended version of its original application does not have to go before city council for approval.
If approved, the complex will be built on land owned by B.C. Pavilion Corporation, which has signed a lease including a 70-year term at $3 million annually based on the current scale of the project. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2016.
