Bill To Allow Casino In Fairfax County Advances In State Senate
A plan to anchor a major Tysons development with a casino is one step closer to becoming a reality.
A bill that would include Fairfax County as one of Virginia's localities allowed to have a casino passed through a state Senate committee Wednesday.
Although the bill doesn't stipulate a location for a casino development, the bill’s sponsor, Sen. David Marsden, told FFXnow that it would be intended for 8546 Leesburg Pike, the location of a planned 3M SF mixed-use project from Clemente Development.
That development was approved in 2019 with plans for the region's tallest tower, but it has been stalled for years as the developer has had difficulty securing office tenants, Bisnow previously reported. It was slated for 1.4M SF of offices, 1.1M SF of residential, a hotel, retail and a black-box theater.
Wednesday’s legislation lays out required locational criteria for a casino development. In addition to being "part of a coordinated mixed-use development," the casino would be required to be within a quarter-mile of a Metro Silver Line station, outside the Dulles International Airport flight path, within 2 miles of a regional mall totaling at least 1.5M SF, and outside the I-495 Beltway.
A casino in Tysons would be a direct competitor to the MGM National Harbor, which opened in 2016 roughly 20 miles away in Prince George's County, Maryland. Lawmakers argue Virginia having its own casino would keep spending from residents in the state.
"I’m getting tired of paying for Maryland schools," Marsden said at a subcommittee meeting Tuesday. "I think it’s time we pay for Virginia schools."
Wednesday’s vote by members of the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology is the latest step in what would be a long path toward a casino development in Fairfax County.
The next hurdle for the bill is to go in front of the state’s Committee on Finance and Appropriations before moving to a vote by the state’s General Assembly. If it passes the General Assembly vote, Fairfax County residents would need to approve a referendum to allow the casino.
Virginia’s General Assembly began its legislative session on Jan. 10, and it ends on March 9.
