Bristol, VA City Council officially going with Hard Rock following resolution approval Tuesday night
The Bristol, VA City Council has approved a resolution that confirms its selection of Hard Rock as its preferred casino operator.
Council members unanimously approved the resolution during its Tuesday night meeting, which followed a recent information request process made by the city towards potential gaming operators, with Hard Rock submitting the lone response. Last night’s selection also follows a public hearing last week that received overwhelmingly positive feedback to the proposed plans.
The city will now submit its plans to the Virginia Lottery Board for pre-qualification approval ahead of a referendum vote in November’s election.
Casino Operator Resolution 5_27_2020
Below is a statement from Richmond-based firm Alliance Group sent to Supertalk following last night’s resolution approval:
“We want to thank members of the Bristol, Virginia City Council for their strong support tonight of the Hard Rock Casino Bristol. We also want to recognize City Manager Randy Eads, and his team, for their diligence during this process. We plan to honor this trust and confidence by building a world-class destination resort.
As we shared in our presentation tonight to City Council, Hard Rock is a premiere global entertainment brand. Each location embodies the local charm and character of that community. The Hard Rock Casino Bristol will honor the region’s heritage as ‘The Birth Place of Country Music.’ As an entertainment destination, we plan to offer restaurants and shops new to the region, large indoor and outdoor music venues and a convention center.
In tonight’s meeting, our elected officials and residents all echoed a similar theme – this project will be a game-changer for Bristol, with a tremendous boost to our local economy from thousands of new jobs and additional City tax revenue. The resort will be a catalyst for the entire region, helping to create jobs at local businesses that will serve the four million tourists a year coming to Bristol to enjoy our outdoor beauty and visit the many wonderful entertainment, cultural and recreational attractions across Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.
The voters in Bristol, Virginia will have an opportunity to approve this project on the ballot in this year’s November 3, 2020, General Election. Between today and November 3, we will work hard so that Bristol, Virginia voters are fully-informed on this project and understand the significant ways in which it will benefit our community.”
Photo Courtesy: Hard Rock/Bristol, VA
