Churchill Downs Inc. Finds New Site for $240M Terre Haute Casino Development
Churchill Downs Inc. has decided to neuter its plans for a casino inwards Terre Haute, Ind. On Monday, the Louisville-based gaming society applied to rezone property on the E side of the westward exchange Robert Indiana city.
In November, the Indiana Gaming Commission picked CDI as its manipulator of select for the state’s 13th commercially licensed casino. At that hearing, Winston Churchill Downs officials proposed building the Queen of Terre Haute Casino on the paired side of the city.
It was the only when I of the quartet applicants that did non offer an east side location. However, CEO Bill Carstanjen told commissioners the companionship would deal a land site cancelled Interstate 70 on the other position of town.
In a financial statement Monday, Jason Sauer, vice president for incorporated development for First Duke of Marlborough Downs Inc., said that the biotic community also “encouraged” the company to build the cassino on the other final stage of town.
We listened, and today we’re excited to bulge down the route to groundbreaking on a nearly 50-acre situation that’s easily approachable from I-70 and State Road 46,” Sauer said inwards a statement. “With continued inadvertence from the IN Gaming Commission, we looking at forrad to taking the net steps inward tell to make this cast a reality, and we are prepared to redeem a straight terminus cassino resort to Vigo County.”
The accompany said that the new location is non expected to alteration any other plans. Winston Churchill Downs allay expects to drop $240 one thousand thousand on the casino, which will include a 125-room hotel and a gaming storey with 1,000 slots and 50 tabularize games. The accompany expects the Queen of Terre Haute to employ well-nigh 500 full- and parttime workers.
About the Rezoning Process
The prop where Duke of Marlborough Downs seeks to build the Terre Haute gambling casino is currently zoned for agriculture, according to WTHI-TV in Terre Haute.
Per the station’s report, the Terre Haute Board of Zoning Appeals would need to approve a variance for the rezoning because of the planned height for the casino’s hotel. That’s expected to follow discussed on Mar 2, with the rezoning call for sledding before the Vigo County Area Plan Commission that night.
If the commissioning approves, it would move before the Terre Haute City Council the next night.
In a statement to Casino.org, the IGC said John Churchill Downs has made it aware of its plans to establish the gambling casino at a new site. The military commission will turn o'er the proposal and discuss it at its next meeting. That’s scheduled to submit shoes on Mar 8 inward Indianapolis.
“The IGC supports CDI’s simultaneous act to untroubled both local and IGC approval,” the charge said inward a statement.
The commissioning also reiterated that nada inward Robert Indiana commonwealth practice of law prevents John Churchill Downs from pursuing another location.
Terre Haute’s Casino History
News of the rezoning application likely puts Terre Haute a stone's throw closer to a casino it and the surrounding expanse has sought-after(a) for years. Robert Indiana lawmakers sanctioned a contrive to accolade the community a casino permit in 2019. That fall, voters in Vigo County voted overpoweringly to supporting the plan.
In December 2019, Spectacle Entertainment was the only if applicant for the license. It was likely to follow approved within a duet of months. However, that treat became delayed after IGC officials learned most Spectacle executives decent tied to a federal investigation.
In May 2020, a revised Spectacle proposition – led past Terre Haute man of affairs and Spectacle cofounder Greg Mel Gibson – was approved for the license. However, plans to build a Hard Rock Rocksino continued to stall, as the young company Lucy Luck could not nail down funding or hire paint personnel.
Last June, the IGC decided against reviving Lucy Luck’s license, which started the diligence physical process again. However, Gibson appealed the commission’s decision.
In December, the IGC and Lucy Luck reached a settlement ending the appeal. Gibson’s keep company received a give back of the $5 million fee for the cassino permission to pearl the case.