January 19th, 2011 – by Glen Farmer
A casino in British Columbia is coming closer to becoming a reality. The Vancouver city council gave what is being called “preliminary approval” on Tuesday for what is set to be the largest casino in Western Canada.
Before the authorization can move forward, the city council is set to draw up a series of questions that will be given to the British Columbia Lottery Corporation before the plan goes to a public hearing on February 17th. The public will also be entitled to question the proposal at a special information meeting that is set to take place a week before the hearing.
Zoning issues could also bog up the issue. The Paragon Casino, the two hotel towers on land around BC Place, and four residential towers on adjacent property are set to placed under consideration.
The Paragon Casino would include 150 gambling tables and 1,500 slot machines. This will be three times the size of the Edgewater casino that it is set to replace.
The project still needs full council approval. Several council members have suggested that they will not give their support on the casino, as social ills are a fear for these members of local government. The social impact of the casino is likely to be significantly researched prior to the complete approval of the casino.