Irving approves development without casinos, nightclubs
Early in the morning, Irving City Council granted approval for the Las Vegas Sands to move forward with development, but there were no casinos and nightclubs. The move comes after the Suns deleted requests for the game in 11 hours. Lori Brown of Fox 4 reports:
Irving, Texas – Early on Friday morning, Irving City Council approved plans for the Las Vegas Sands to move forward with development at the site, home to Texas Stadium.
The vote came after Irving officials told them to remove plans for their destination resort and casinos after facing a huge backlash from residents earlier this week.
About 200 residents signed up to speak at the council meeting on Thursday, with all residents opposed the casino.
Irving City Council meeting on March 20th.
Irving Council Meeting
Las Vegas Sands drop casino suggestions
After a “pushback” from Irving residents, the casino developers supported a request to bring the gaming destination resort to the old Texas Stadium site.
What we know:
Developer representatives addressed the council, highlighting the need to change Texas gaming laws before building the casino. They highlighted the uncertainty surrounding state legislative measures regarding the expansion of gambling.
Some residents argued that destination resorts would only benefit the city economically if supported by the state gaming laws.
In response to concerns, the council voted for two separate 6-3 decisions to amend the zoning proposal and removed the casino components. However, the council did not ban the possibility of casinos being built on the site if state laws change in the future.
The Las Vegas Sands have been working to prepare applications for licensing if Texas lawmakers and citizens approve of expanding legalized gambling in the state.
A motion by Irving City Councilman Luis Canosa banned banning gambling as a future use of the site.
The meeting, which began at 7pm on Thursday, continued until nearly 2am on Friday.
What’s next:
Representatives from the Sands said they are still planning to develop the site, but are much smaller and much smaller, including the hotel. However, revised projects generate significantly less revenue than casinos.
Residents expressed support for a more balanced use of the land.
The ownership group behind the Suns is also behind the Dallas Mavericks, with some who believe the NBA franchise can move from downtown Dallas to Irving.
The approved zoning still allows the arena to be developed, but it is not clear whether even that plan will move forward without a casino that funds it.
First Texas Stadium Site Plan
Backstory:
On March 18, the Irving Planning and Zoning Committee voted 5-4 votes to rezone the old Texas Stadium site before sending the proposal to City Council on March 20.
The original plan included a 4 million square foot resort and casino with nightclubs. The proposed development was set up at the location of the former Texas Stadium near Highway 114 and 183.
Resident concerns
176 Irving residents opposed the casino’s plans.
What they are saying:
“I’m still concerned about my business with Sand. They’re making people put bad bets and they’re in the business that’s their whole business,” Taylor Higginbotham said.
Source: Information in this article comes from an Irving Council meeting and previous FOX 4 reports.
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