The proposed C$70 million hotel/casino complex for Delta has invoked a bag of mixed feelings over the last several months. Residents and city officials are responsible for weighing the pros and cons of hosting a casino and decide if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The decision-making process is the hardest part as people have different opinions on the matter.
Assessing the effects of hosting a casino is complicated because many factors have to be considered. Gambling proponents would say that casinos are an important part of the economic development, convincing cash-strapped states to expand casinos. Casino opponents, on the other hand, would point out to the gambling-related harm and all the negative social and environmental effects of hosting a casino.
During a meeting at the Delta Town & Country Inn that took place on 17th January, it became clear that Gateway plans to demolish the current indoor tennis facility on the property. Representatives of Gateway Casinos and the City of Delta met to discuss Gateway’s proposal and gather feedback from the locals. More than 150 tennis and sports enthusiasts attended the meeting to voice their concerns regarding the demolition of the only indoor tennis facility in Delta.
Tennis Players Try to Save Indoor Tennis Facility on the Site
The four tennis clubs in Delta, including the Town & Country Tennis Club, Ladner Tennis Club, Tsawwassen Tennis Club and Sunshine Hills Tennis Club made a joint presentation by DeltaTennis.Org. The tennis clubs outlined the importance of indoor tennis facility in Delta. In January, Casino Reports found out that the municipal hall received a number of letters by concerned sports enthusiasts, who pointed out that Delta will be the only municipality in the area without an indoor racquet facility.
The Town & Country usually hosts competitions and tournaments for everyone from youths to professionals. In that sense, the tennis players explained that the city and the casino are responsible for replacing the indoor tennis facility from a moral point of view. Gateway has already submitted a rezoning application to build its entertainment complex. The company behind the casino proposal have a lease agreement with the landowner, and more precisely the Toigo family’s Shato Holdings Ltd.
However, the project stirred the pot once again as it does not include the replacement of the indoor tennis facility, but its demolition. Tennis fans argued that the facility is an important part of the sports and cultural life of the city. They pointed out that many other municipalities with indoor tennis facilities use these as a revenue stream to fund other sports amenities. Tennis fans explained that the city officials are lured by the promises for a massive casino revenue, excluding all other factors.
