Gateway Casinos and Leisure says it hopes to start building on new Reive Boulevard facility in 2025 or 2026
As first reported in Could 2024, it seems Innisfil’s on line casino shall be on the transfer.
At present positioned at 7485 fifth Sideroad, simply outdoors the Barrie metropolis limits, Gateway Casinos and Leisure “purchased a 25-acre parcel of land at 239 Reive Blvd., home to the former Innisfil Creek Golf Course, with plans to move its gaming operations there” in January 2028 as soon as the brand new facility is prepared.
Gateway, an organization primarily based in British Columbia, took over the on line casino at Georgian Downs in July 2018, as one among its 31 casinos throughout Canada.
It was confirmed that the relocation wouldn’t have an effect on the city’s revenue-sharing settlement with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Company (OLG), from which the city has obtained “more than $107 million in cash benefits from hosting, including nearly $7 million since 2018.”
Innisfil council was proven a tough structure of how a on line casino and lodge may look on property lately bought by Gateway Casinos for a brand new growth close to Freeway 89 and Freeway 400. | Picture equipped
OLG confirmed that horse racing will proceed on the present location for 3 extra years, however that was refuted by Bruce Barber of Nice Canadian Leisure.
“The reality of if it is, we’re not sure where it will go after this year,” Barber stated to city councillors at a June 5 open discussion board. “There is no contract with the Ontario government via (Ontario Racing) after 2026.”
City council “unanimously agreed to support Gateway Casinos’ minister’s zoning order (MZO) request to rezone lands near Highway 400 and Highway 89, allowing it to build a new gaming facility before the expiration of its lease at the Georgian Downs site” on the identical assembly.
Although “site-plan approval hasn’t been granted yet, nor have the parties received word whether the requested … (MZO) will be approved by the provincial government,” city council agreed to permit Gateway to move fill to the proposed new website in late October.
As a part of this, the conservation authority will allow as many as 11,000 truckloads of fill to be transported to the proposed new website — with out spreading it on-site — over three or 4 months, although Coun. Kevin Eisses has raised considerations in regards to the logistics of the operation.
“Will the applicant provide some traffic help at all times with the trucks as moving in?” he requested. “I know from past experiences these truck drivers, they get paid by the load, so they’re in quite a bit of a hurry to get back to the next one. For the majority of them, they do that well, but there’s always a small percentage that might want to take a shortcut through someone’s driveway.”
At present, the one municipal street to be impacted shall be Reive Boulevard, because the vans will enter and exit the municipality by way of the 89 exit on the 400.
Development of the brand new facility is predicted to start out in 2025 or 2026.
Along with the city and the conservation authority, approval from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Tradition shall be obtained.
In June, planning and development director Andria Leigh stated it was the city’s understanding that an MZO would “allow that runway” for a brand new facility to be constructed and are available on-line whereas the present on line casino stays in operation.
“There’s a fairly significant process to construct this new casino and then there’s a transfer process to relocate to this location,” she stated.
That features session with the general public and Indigenous communities. Gateway has made point out of a public open home in its software to the city, however simply what the session course of will seem like stays to be seen.
Related readability on the scope of essential environmental research would even be offered by way of route from the ministry.
“Gateway is completely happy to speculate in the neighborhood of Innisfil, and be part of their long-term development technique,” stated Gateway communications director Rob Mitchell in a Dec. 18 e mail. “The City has been a fantastic companion with Gateway and we sit up for increasing our eating, gaming and leisure choices to make sure that Innisfil turns into a ‘must visit’ vacation spot within the Simcoe Area.”
— With information from Patrick Bales
