PavCo Offers Compromise on Vancouver Casino
The controversial expansion of the Edgewater Casino in Vancouver saw an interesting twist of events this week after the project's applicant, the BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo) proposed a compromise.
After hearing nearly 150 speakers over a period of five days, city councillors, who are set to make a decision regarding the casino's expansion, heard a new offer by PavCo.
The chair of the group, David Podmore, said that they would be willing to reduce the planned increase of slot machines from 1,500 to 1,200.
The compromise also involves Paragon being allowed to apply for an expansion of these numbers in two years time.
In his closing statement, Podmore said: "That is an option. We would certainly be happy to work with the city, and I know Paragon is also happy to work with the city if that helps to a certain extent."
However, the offer has been met by skepticism by opponents, who say that it does nothing to reduce the actual physical size of the casino.
"It's still 2.6 acres of casino floor," said Sandy Garossino of the group Vancouver, Not Vegas. "That is a massive casino floor right in the heart of downtown in the most densely populated residential neighbourhood in Vancouver."
She added that it simply wasn't an appropriate site, not an appropriate size and not an appropriate project for the city.
She also condemned PavCo's decision to bring up the compromise at the end of the hearing.
"If PavCo and Paragon wanted to put that before the city council, they should have done that at the outset, not as a surprise move at the end," she added.
