PETERSBURG – With Wednesday’s approval of The Cordish Companies and Bruce Smith Enterprises as Petersburg’s casino vendor of choice, city officials say the next step in the process is getting the Virginia Lottery Board and a Circuit Court judge on its side in approving the November referendum that ultimately decides the future of legalized gambling here.

In an email Thursday afternoon, city spokesperson Joanne Williams said Petersburg and Cordish/BSE will draw up the paperwork to submit to the lottery board, the state agency that governs Virginia’s casino operations. Under Virginia law, the board must review and sign off on both the vendor and the proposal within 45 days upon receiving the paperwork.

Those documents include a complete background of Cordish’s financial status, and its records of history in the business and current gaming operations. The Baltimore-based company operates the Live! casino brands in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, as well as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Its website also says the company was instrumental in developing Hard Rock casino-hotel complexes in Tampa and Hollywood, Florida.

Should the Lottery Board sign off, then the city and its vendor must persuade a Petersburg Circuit Court judge to allow the question to go on the November ballot.

Williams said the city hopes to have the process completed by August in time for the November elections.

Cordish – Petersburg's partner in last year’s failed attempt to land a casino – was chosen following a 90-minute closed session of City Council. The vote picking Cordish was unanimous, but councilors’ orchestrated unwillingness to comment on the basis for the decision seemed to overshadow the selection.

Williams’ statement Thursday afternoon did not contain any of the superlative language the city previously used to tout a casino possibly coming to town.

“If approved by citizens in November, the Destination Resort, which includes a casino, will be the largest economic development and tourism project in the City’s history,” it concluded.

Cordish’s $1.4 billion proposal for a casino-centric multi-use community off Wagner Road beat out bids from Bally’s Corporation for the Rives Road area; Rush Street Gaming and Rivers Casino for a County Drive location; Penn Entertainment for a Hollywood Casino on Frontage Road facing Interstate 95; and The Warrenton Group/Delaware North for a South Crater Road location near Walmart.

A spokesperson for Cordish told The Progress-Index that a statement about the choice was forthcoming.

Earlier this month, the Virginia General Assembly finalized Petersburg becoming Richmond’s replacement as one of five cities across Virginia to host casinos. Petersburg came into play after Richmond voters twice rejected referendums that would have built a casino behind the Philip Morris tobacco plant in south Richmond.

The other host cities are Bristol, Danville, Norfolk and Portsmouth. Casinos are up and running in Bristol, Danville and Portsmouth, while proposals have stalled in Norfolk.

Ironically, Cordish was a finalist for the possible Richmond casino but lost out to media conglomerate Urban One. It also took Norfolk to court in 2021 over allegations of breach-of-promise when Cordish claimed it developed the city’s Waterside community in exchange for exclusivity on building a casino if Virginia ever legalized gambling. The state did, but Norfolk opted to work with the Pamunkey Native American tribe and their partner, instead.

In late February, the Virginia Court of Appeals rejected Cordish’s request to overturn a Circuit Court ruling in Norfolk’s favor.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: With choice in pocket, Petersburg looks ahead to prepping casino vote