A riverfront casino resort in Columbus? It could happen under this new GA legislation
Columbus’ Calvin Smyre is one of six state lawmakers who signed on to a proposed constitutional amendment Tuesday that would allow casino operation in Georgia, reviving talks of a possible riverfront resort on the city’s south side.
Under the legislation, a limited number of casinos would be allowed to operate in Georgia. A portion of the state’s casino income would fund HOPE and other scholarship programs. The amendment would appear on the ballot in 2022, Smyre told the Ledger-Enquirer.
Previous legalization efforts in the state have failed in recent years. Constitutional amendments require two-thirds majorities in the state House and Senate. Voters at the state level then would have to sign off.
Smyre, a top-ranking Democrat in the state, said passing the legislation will be difficult but he’s “optimistic.”
“This is just the start,” he said. “In order for this to have any hope of passing, it would have to be a bipartisan effort.”
What could a Columbus casino look like?
A swath of 150-acres along the Chattahoochee River near Rigdon Park is one of four west Georgia locations identified by Atlanta’s City Commercial Real Estate as a possible casino site. The others include a spot in LaGrange near the Great Wolf Lodge, a site near West Point and another near Bremen. The company recently announced it has 5,000 acres of potential casino sites under listing agreements, said founder Rick Lackey.
Site plans for the Columbus resort from the designers of The Battery, the mixed-use development and home of the Atlanta Braves, also include a luxury hotel, water taxis, an entertainment venue, senior living, a sports complex and townhouses among its amenities.
Lackey commissioned the sketches to show state legislators and prospective casino operators what could go there. Lackey estimates the development would require a capital investment of $500 million.
“Columbus is undeniable because it’s in a city, and it’s got the military base. It’s on the state lines, and it’s on the water,” Lackey said.
Columbus entrepreneur Robert Wright Jr. owns the south Columbus land and has pushed for the resort over the last several years. In 2016, Wright told the Ledger-Enquirer he wanted to bring a $200 million resort casino to the city. But each time, gambling measures failed to clear the necessary political hurdles.
Wright estimates the new resort project would create a total of 2,000 to 3,000 jobs including construction. He hopes the project will spark further development in the area since plans call for more than just the casino.
“We think it would be a huge boost to that area, providing jobs, homes and other entertainment amenities for south Columbus,” he said Wednesday. “We’ve been ready to go for the last four or five years.”
What’s next?
If the legislation passes in the General Assembly and Georgia voters say “yes” in 2022, local residents would have to cast ballots in favor of a Columbus casino.
The Columbus Council approved a resolution in October calling on area state lawmakers to introduce or support a statewide casino gaming referendum. In December, the council also approved the boundaries of a south Columbus tax allocation district where the casino could be located. The council vote only established the district’s boundaries. It did not approve projects.
Smyre said he believes this is the right time for this legislation even if getting it passed through the state legislature will be a “heavy lift.”
“I would like to see three or four casinos outside the Atlanta area, and naturally I would favor Columbus because that’s where I’m from,” he said. “The time is now for us to do something of this nature.”
This story was originally published January 28, 2021 at 6:00 AM.