Delta Town & Country Inn owner Ron Toigo told the Optimist he won’t be directly involved in the proposed hotel or gaming facility. He will simply lease the Ladner site to Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Ltd. Photograph By ADRIAN MACNAIR
Delta residents will get an idea in the coming weeks what kind of gambling and entertainment complex could soon be on their doorstep.
Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Ltd. says the proposed project would bring up to 700 new jobs and an estimated $70 million investment to the Delta economy. It would also result in 500 person-years of construction employment.
The B.C. Lottery Corporation announced earlier this month that Gateway has been granted preliminary approval to relocate the Newton Community Gaming Centre in Surrey to the Delta Town & Country Inn site in Ladner.
The next step for Gateway is to come up with a proposed design, including how many slot machines and table games will be part of the complex.
The company, which operates 26 gaming facilities across Canada, including the Grand Villa in Burnaby and Starlight in New Westminster, says the Delta complex will feature an “exciting mix” of amenities, including signature food and beverage brands that will be announced in the coming weeks.
The project will first go to the B.C. Lottery Corporation for review and approval.
Delta CAO George Harvie said once the plan clears BCLC, a process that requires public input, it will be treated like any other development application submitted to the municipality.
Staff will work with the applicant to ensure the form and size meets expectations before it’s presented at a public information meeting. It would then head to Delta council for consideration of preliminary approval before going to a public hearing.
“Our expectation, which they know, is to have a hotel there plus an entertainment area, including a number of restaurants, a small area for corporate meetings and, of course, gaming. We would not accept phasing. It would have to be a complete project built all at once,” Harvie explained.
He said a public hearing could be held early next year.
Ron Toigo, who owns the Delta Town & Country Inn, said he won’t be directly involved in the new hotel or gaming facility, instead simply leasing the site to Gateway. He said the property at the junction of highways 17A and 99 is ideal for a casino complex.
“I certainly didn’t think it would fit in the Tsawwassen area and if we would have it, the tax revenues should go to Delta. It’s a good location because there’s not too much housing around there. At the end of the day, it should be a win-win for the community,” Toigo said.
Local governments where gaming facilities are located receive a 10 per cent share of the net income generated. A civic report notes that although it is too early in the process to speculate about the annual revenue Delta would receive, BCLC estimates it could be between $1.5 and $3 million.
The City of Richmond over the last 10 years has reportedly received $153.7 million from the River Rock Casino Resort, which is operated by Great Canadian Gaming.
The B.C. Lottery Corporation had been looking for an alternate location after initially expressing reluctance toward the Delta Town & Country Inn site for a variety of reasons, including its proximity to the River Rock.
The Corporation of Delta made it clear to the lottery corporation, however, that the Delta Town & Country Inn was the only site it considered suitable.
Delta chose the location because of its distance from residential neighbourhoods, access to major transportation corridors and its ability to align with Delta’s tourism strategy.
In its expression of interest to BCLC, Delta’s vision for a gaming facility was for a complete entertainment complex, including a hotel, conference centre and restaurants.
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