Too early to talk about casino: Mayor

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This article was published 23/01/2012 (5091 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nothing is off the table when considering options for a downtown entertainment complex, according to Mayor Shari Decter Hirst.

There has been talk of building a hotel, conference centre, performance arts facility or even a casino to help breathe more life into downtown Brandon.

“The one thing we do know is that we want our downtown to be an entertainment district. There’s real potential there,” Decter Hirst said.

City council released its Roadmap for Growth strategic plan in December, which includes the possibility of establishing an entertainment complex on vacant land in downtown Brandon.

However, Decter Hirst said it’s still very much in the preliminary stages.

“It’s not even on the drawing board,” she said. “We’re still that far away from having any real discussion around it … When we’re ready to have those more detailed discussions, the citizens of Brandon will be at the table as part of it.”

Last week, the Brandon Sun reported the results of an exclusive Probe Research poll on whether residents think a casino would be an appropriate addition to a potential downtown entertainment complex.

It appears Brandonites are still fairly evenly split on the idea. Just over half — 53 per cent— said an entertainment centre should not include a casino, while 41 per cent said they would like a casino downtown. Three per cent indicated that their support would depend on other factors, while four per cent were undecided or refused to respond.

It has been a touchy subject over the years — plebiscites in both 2002 and 2008 had the majority vote against a casino.

“I remember at that time it was very divisive,” Decter Hirst said. “There wasn’t a lot of good information. I don’t think we ever want to go back and re-open those wounds … That being said, many communities are looking at casinos as revenue opportunity.”

Many communities, similar in size to Brandon, see millions of dollars of additional revenue, Decter Hirst said.

Some downtown advocates believe a casino, as part of a larger complex, would be ideal.

“My support for a casino has been staunch from the beginning,” said Marlow Kirton, managing partner of The Town Centre. “I’ve seen it work in other communities. It’s amazing how quickly they can make a difference in a downtown. If we’re going to maximize the potential derived from a casino, downtown is where it needs to go.”

Pastor John Reaves, who was against the casino idea during the 2008 debate, said he stands by his opinion.

“It hasn’t changed,” he said. “I don’t know when our civil government is going to get the point.”

Reaves said through his research, he learned that casinos can take away from local business, and can bring in more criminal activity to a community.

“People spend more money gambling and less at the grocery store or the furniture store or wherever,” he said. “It brings in some of the criminal sort too, I believe … prostitution on the street and on and on it goes.”

Reaves said city council should instead try to bring more professional offices and specialty stores downtown.

“I think they’ve been kind of on the right track,” he said. “Get lawyers, doctors, get offices down there … I think they’re just spinning their wheels and wasting their money. Make it more of a professional centre. If they have to tear down some of it, tear down some of it.”

Coun. Corey Roberts (Rosser), who owns Clancy’s in downtown Brandon, said looking at all possibilities is the “fiscally responsible thing to do.”

“Whether it’s a casino or entertainment complex, with a city the size of Brandon it needs to be a venue that looks at a whole bunch of different facets, not just gaming,” Roberts said. “It has to be some place where you can go and enjoy a show, a great meal, maybe have a room … Brandon is a market where you can’t just entertain one target market, and if it’s going to be successful … it has to be pretty diverse in what it offers to its clientele.”

Roberts hopes the city can create a “round the clock” experience downtown.

“Most businesses in downtown Brandon shut their doors at 5 p.m., and I need something here that draws people in the evening, the weekends, all of those things that have been missing downtown.”

» jaustin@brandonsun.com