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Ohio voters to decide location for Columbus Casino

COLUMBUS – The Ohio House of Representatives this afternoon approved a resolution that will allow voters across Ohio to change the location for the Columbus casino.

Voters last fall approved an Ohio Constitutional amendment that allows casinos to be built in 4 cities in the state including Columbus, but objections to the designated Arena District site led to an effort to find a different location. The resolution authorizes a Columbus casino on the site of the former Delphi plant on the west side.

Senate Joint Resolution 8 has already been approved by the Ohio Senate, and with this afternoon’s bipartisan 71-26 House vote it now will be on the May 2010 statewide ballot.

“I sponsored the House version of this measure to allow voters to relocate the Columbus casino to the Delphi site because it has been welcomed by many local community and business groups with the potential to create many jobs in an area that desperately needs it,” stated Rep. Ted Celeste.

“This is about jobs and economic development on the Westside and redeveloping an abandoned factory site. This plant has been vacant for years and could have been for decades to come,” said Rep. Dan Stewart. “The economic development this will bring to the area is desperately needed.”

“I am pleased that all parties have been able to reach consensus on the casino location in Franklin County,” said Rep. Marian Harris. “I’m looking forward to the groundbreaking!”

“This is an important step in the process of getting ‘shovels in the ground’ to bring much needed jobs and businesses to a struggling area of Franklin County,” said Rep. Nancy Garland. “I commend the City of Columbus, Penn National, the leaders of the group ‘West Side is the Best Side’ and the other elected officials who have worked to get the amendment to move the casino.  Now we all need to work together to make this a reality by passing the amendment in May.”