Virginia Lawmaker Remains Committed to Fairfax Casino, Says County Must Diversify
When the Virginia General Assembly reconvenes in 2025, the legislator from Virginia who spearheaded the push for a commercial casino for Fairfax County earlier this year promises to continue the battle.
Sen. David Marsden (D-Fairfax), a Democrat from Virginia, collaborated with nearby real estate developers Comstock Companies and Clemente Development to draft legislation designating Fairfax County as an approved county for the location of a commercial casino. Marsden's bill specifically targeted a site for the casino resort and convention center near Route 7 in Tysons, a former car dealership.
The Tysons area's numerous homeowners associations and local government opposed the gambling endeavor, which is why the law failed. But Marsden remained unmoved and promised to pick up the casino drive again the next year.
Tysons and McClean, according to Marsden, rely significantly on commercial office space, which is mostly unoccupied in the wake of the pandemic as enterprises have moved to outlying locations.
"We have a serious situation going on here with a paradigm shift in worker behavior, which has led to huge numbers of office vacancies and much fewer buildings being leased out,” Marsden told 7News, a local ABC affiliate.
“We still have a number of years to go for leases to expire that were taken out before and during the pandemic. As those leases expire, people are going to come back for much less floor space. [That’s] going to put a real hurt on the county’s revenue structure,” Marsden added.
Diversity Is Required
Reductions in the number of employees not only impact the value of commercial office buildings but also neighboring small companies such as gas stations, restaurants, childcare centers, and convenience stores. According to Marsden, the economic impact is extensive, and homeowners will have to bear the cost unless new revenue streams flood the county in order to maintain the standard of living that Fairfax people need and deserve.
The typical homeowner's property tax bill increased by $450 this year, according to Marsden, despite significant public opposition to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors' proposal.
“We’re in a situation where people are starting to really pay attention to how much they’re paying in taxes on their homes and their cars and what have you,” Marsden said.
Many homeowners are opposed to more than just higher taxes. Marsden's casino advance is not without its enemies.
Casino Critics
Twelve homeowner associations and local municipality boards are leading the opposition to a Fairfax casino under the banner of the "No Casino Coalition." The grassroots group is requesting that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors advise its state legislators in Washington, D.C., to reject attempts in Richmond to propose a casino referendum in Fairfax County.
According to Virginia's 2020 gaming law, local voters will have the last say on whether or not a casino opens in their communities. When the Fairfax supervisors discussed the issue back in January, the majority of them appeared to be against a casino.
"Such a development right in the middle of Tysons would indelibly alter the character of the community — for the worse,” said Bill Comerford, a No Casino Coalition member and volunteer.
“I’ve had lots of people come up with little kids, literally small children and families with kids in strollers, who are very concerned,” added Tracy McCarthy, another No Casino Coalition member who recently tended to the cause’s booth at the Viva! Vienna Festival.
