Belleville casino moving ahead

Great Canadian Gaming to start construction by year’s end

BELLEVILLE - Belleville has been dealt the winning casino hand.

Great Canadian Gaming has pulled the trigger on plans to initiate the building of a casino at a Belleville site, says Spencer Hutchinson, the city’s manager of approvals.

Hutchinson said the British Columbia-based gaming company, which has acquired the rights to build a casino in Quinte and operate two existing sites, has indicated it intends to move forward with site plan approvals and seek permits needed to break ground in Belleville by year’s end.

“The announcement was in the paper Wednesday ... and Friday we got a call from them saying, let’s meet,” Hutchinson said. “They didn’t waste any time.”

Hutchinson said Great Canadian officials reached out to city hall last week, leading to a subsequent meeting with staff on Monday.

“Great Canadian came in and said they had to get going and started setting things in motion to start,” said Hutchinson on Tuesday. “We’ve already met with them and they’re moving.”

A release announcing the deal, last week, reported as much as $41 million could be invested in the development of a casino here.

Hutchinson was tight-lipped about the exact location of the Belleville site under review, but said the company shared concept drawings and other plans indicating a clear intent that construction is in the cards.

“Every indication is that they want a building permit before 2015 is out,” Hutchinson said. “They are gathering the paperwork but they haven’t got a final plan yet. They presented a concept that they presented to OLG and now they have to get into the details of the site plan.”

Ontario Lottery and Gaming named Ontario Gaming East Limited Partnership as operator of first new gaming bundle which includes the building of a new casino in Belleville or Quinte West.

When reached in British Columbia via phone Tuesday, Great Canadian vice-president Chuck Keeling said the company has kickstart the process and with city and OLG backing will be turning sod here by year end.