At meeting, elected officials and residents criticize planned Rosie's Gaming Emporium in Henrico

Concerned residents packed the Henrico Parks and Recreation headquarters Dec. 5 for updates on the future of Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, a gambling site set to take shape in the Staples Mill Shopping Center. 

The public forum was designed to clear up misinformation and provide the public with the next steps, said Brookland Supervisor Dan Schmitt, who hosted the event alongside Virginia State Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg. 

Schmitt expressed frustration when recounting the chronological events that allowed Rosie's parent company Churchill Downs, Inc. to obtain a permit that allows the construction of the gaming emporium.

“Circumventing the public is never welcomed in Henrico County,” said Schmitt, criticizing the company for filing a permit application five days before the Henrico Board of Supervisors voted in June to approve an ordinance that would have subjected the gambling facility to a provisional use permitting process.

That process, designed to close a loophole from a 1990s law, would have involved public hearings that invited public input before the board, which ultimately could have voted to approve or deny a provisional use permit for the facility. Because the company filed its plans ahead of that vote, the facility was permitted under existing county zoning standards at the site.

“These out-of-state gambling corporations come in and they disrespect all the people in the communities they build into,” said VanValkenburg.”They don’t care, they ask for more, they trample over people.” 

Those in attendance Thursday night expressed issues about the way the permit was obtained. One woman who said she has lived in the community for many years, asked, “Is there anything we can do about this?” 

Another – a liaison for the Virginia Gaming Commission and a 50-year Henrico resident – discussed the potential tax revenue from Rosie’s, noting that with the maximum of 175 historical horse racing machines permitted at the site, it could generate $133,000 a month. However, he pointed out that 50% of that revenue must go to New Kent County, where Rosie's is based at Colonial Downs, leaving Henrico with just about $65,000-$66,000 a month.

“It’s not like we’re gonna get rich on this,” he said.

VanValkenburg and some residents speculated that Churchill Downs may be building in Henrico to increase its licenses for future expansion.

Residents from nearby areas raised concerns about the emporium's location and its impact on the safety of residents and businesses. One pointed out the gaming emporium’s proximity to a mosque (the Islamic Center of Henrico and Masjid Al-Falahand on Impala Drive) and suggested the possibility of an increase in discriminatory attacks. 

A Glenside Woods resident expressed concerns about the emporium being built in her "backyard" and asked about the safety measures Churchill Downs and Henrico Division of Police would implement.

Schmitt, alongside a Henrico Police representative, assured residents that the department would take every measure necessary to monitor Rosie’s Gaming Emporium. 

By comparing crime data from the Rosie’s location on Midlothian Turnpike and other locations, Schmitt said, “they [HPD] have done their homework and they know what their protection is looking at.” 

However, Schmitt emphasized that Rosie’s would be monitored, “not targeted” and would be treated no differently than any other business. 

Another resident, who raised her family in the area, asked Schmitt if increased police presence would force an increase in taxes to compensate officers. One resident called out, “Are we going to be invoicing that back to them [Churchill Downs]?” 

“It’s a net loss by any mathematical means,” said the HPD representative, prompting protests and complaints from the audience.

Some residents expressed concerns about the impact of Rosie’s, located in a shopping center, on the future of other businesses in the area.

One shared that a vape store in the shopping center closed after learning the emporium would be built in the plaza. Other residents questioned the number of parking spaces allocated to Churchill Downs and whether it would impact the remaining businesses. 

“Now you’re gonna hurt all those other businesses and they’re not going to have parking,” one resident said. “So now you’re going to lose all that business that is creating profitable revenue.” 

VanValkenburg noted that Henrico's entire General Assembly delegation had penned a letter in July urging Churchill Downs to withdraw its original applicaiton and resubmit it under the county's new ordinance, but the company did not respond. Churchill Downs officials told Citizen partner WTVR that they were excited to bring new revenue to the area through the gambling venue.

VanValkenburg told attendees that he would ask Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares to give his opinion about the legality of the company's decision to file its plans knowing that a vote was days away. He urged residents to not get their hopes up but said “we will try.” He also discussed the possibility of the creation of a gaming commission for the state in order to regulate gambling and have enforcement power. 

Both Schmitt and VanValkenburg urged attendees to keep staying informed and attending public forums. They also encouraged residents to reach out to their state legislators and Churchill Downs with letters, phone calls and emails to voice their concerns. 

“Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should,” said VanValkenburg.