Title
To support passage of State Issue 2, which authorizes a change in the location of the Columbus casino project to the abandoned General Motors/Delphi automotive plant on Georgesville Road.
Body
WHEREAS, voters last November approved an amendment to the Ohio Constitution authorizing casino projects at specific locations in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo to help create more jobs, tax revenues and economic development; and
WHEREAS, developer Penn National Gaming agreed to work with Columbus City Council President Michael C. Mentel and the other members of Council, Mayor Michael B. Coleman, and Stand Up Columbus! to consider alternate sites that made the most sense for Columbus; and
WHEREAS, the far West Side neighborhood, community and business leaders spoke ardently in favor of moving the proposed casino to the vacant 123-acre GM/Delphi plant on Georgesville Road to help spark revitalization of the part of the community particularly hard hit by the economic downturn; and
WHEREAS, the Columbus casino's change of address promises to bring much-needed economic revitalization to the West Side community and transform the West Side into a vibrant destination location; and
WHEREAS, the Columbus casino project is expected to create 3,500 new construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs and generate $64.1 million in new annual revenue for Columbus, Franklin County and local school districts. The economic impact for our city during the casino's construction and first five years of operation is projected to be $2.4 billion; and
WHEREAS, moving the casino to a new location is supported by Columbus' civic and business leaders, including the Mayor and City Council, the Columbus Chamber, Experience Columbus, local labor unions, the NAACP, and neighborhood, civic and business groups all around central Ohio; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby support the change in location for the Columbus casino to the abandoned GM-Delphi plant on the West Side.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That we do hereby support passage of State Issue 2 on May 4 and encourage all Columbus, Franklin County and Ohio voters to vote YES on Issue 2.