Winchester council votes to seek state feasibility review for convention center and destination casino

Winchester City Council voted Jan. 13 to ask the state to perform a feasibility review of a proposed convention-entertainment center that would include a destination casino, advancing the project to the next stage of exploration but not authorizing construction.

The council approved a resolution directing the Economic Development Authority to pursue a state feasibility study and begin community outreach. Jeff Bittner, executive director of the EDA, told council the step is “the next step in doing due diligence” and stressed the vote does not authorize site selection, operator selection or construction. He said any license would be contingent on identifying a suitable operator and a referendum of Winchester voters within 24 months.

Supporters said the package could address long-term budget shortfalls and fund infrastructure and services. Bittner cited study projections that a properly configured project could generate roughly $27.5 million annually to the city through multiple revenue buckets and create several hundred construction and operations jobs; the EDA's analysis modeled a 50,000-square-foot gaming floor and convention space the city lacks.

Opponents, including multiple residents who spoke during public comment, warned of traffic, pressure on downtown businesses, increased social harms from problem gambling and long-term declines in property values. Holly Redding, a Winchester small-business owner, called the EDA study ——rose-colored—— and questioned a projection the study attributed to 1,500,000 annual visitors.

Council discussion ranged from caution about public trust and industry influence to the fiscal realities facing a 9.3-square-mile city with a high share of tax-exempt acreage and nearly 20% of residents living at or below the poverty line, figures Bittner cited during the presentation. A motion to table further action failed; council then voted to proceed with the EDA's feasibility work and outreach.

Next steps outlined by staff include requesting an independent state review (once a gaming commission is established at the state level), then identifying potential operators and sites, conducting traffic and other impact studies, negotiating community benefits and returning to council before any referendum placement. If the state and the city's subsequent vetting find a viable proposal, residents would decide the project at the ballot box.

The resolution does not commit the city to construction, and Bittner and council members emphasized the process will include additional analyses and public engagement before any final local decision.