About two years after Northern Virginia’s first Rosie’s Gaming Emporium opened in the town of Dumfries, the gaming operation is trying its luck in Manassas Park.
Churchill Downs Incorporated, the parent company of Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, announced Friday that it has launched a petition to collect the 450 signatures needed to get a referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot to request Manassas Park voter authorization to open a new Rosie’s Gaming Emporium in Manassas. park
The number of signatures is just above the 5% of registered voters required by Virginia law for a referendum to allow mutual betting in a Virginia locality. Manassas Park had 8,128 registered voters as of June 1, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
Getting a referendum on the ballot in smaller towns like Manassas Park or Dumfries requires only a fraction of the signatures that would be required in larger counties. In Prince William County, which has 287,500 registered voters, about 14,400 signatures would be needed to get a referendum on the ballot.
The 450 signatures of registered voters at Manassas Park must be collected by Aug. 18 to meet the deadline for the Nov. 7 general election, according to Churchill Downs spokesman Mark Hubbard.
If the Prince William County Circuit Court verifies the voters’ signatures and approves the referendum, a majority of Manassas Park voters would need to approve the referendum for the facility to move forward.
Churchill Downs is eyeing the Manassas Park Mall on Centerville Road for the gambling store. The company chose the facility because it is centrally located, accessible and offers ample parking, Hubbard said.
If the referendum is approved by Manassas Park voters, the facility would be similar in size to Rosie’s Emporium in Dumfries, which opened in January 2021 with 94 slot-like gambling machines. The Dumfries facility was initially approved for up to 150 machines, but recently won approval from Dumfries City Council for another 10 machines for a total of 160, Hubbard said.
Rosie’s in Dumfries also has a fast food restaurant. The facility, located in the Triangle Shopping Center, is open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday to Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Dumfries Rosie’s Gaming Emporium is set to close, however, once the much larger, casino-sized gaming facility, called ‘The Rose’, opens in 2024.
The existing Rosie’s Gaming Emporium is expected to generate about $1 million in tax revenue for the city of Dumfries in fiscal year 2023, which ends July 1, according to city budget documents.
Manassas Park Rosie’s is expected to create up to 150 new jobs and generate about $1.5 million in annual tax revenue for the city, according to a press release from Colonial Downs issued Friday, June 23.
The City of Manassas has an annual budget of about $136 million. The city has embarked on an aggressive effort in recent years to spur economic development by driving a new downtown development, called Central Park – in good condition. The development includes a new city hall and library, which opened last summer, as well as about 300 townhouse-style condominiums. The development is slated to add a new movie theater as well as restaurants and retail space in the coming years.
Rosie’s effort to expand into Manassas Park comes after “a long period of discussions” with Manassas Park officials, Hubbard said.
“Manassas Park is eager to do some revitalization and they’re looking for revenue to help in that revitalization,” Hubbard said when asked why the company chose Manassas Park. “And it offers another entertainment destination.”
In a press release, Jack Sours, corporate vice president of gaming operations for Churchill Downs in Virginia, called Manassas Park “exactly the type of location in Virginia that we want to operate in.”
“We want to bring good jobs, new tax revenue and a lot of fun to the city,” Sours said in a statement. “…We also know the city is looking for ways to raise revenue so it can lower property taxes and invest in downtown redevelopment. The revenue we generate can help make that happen, and we’re committed to make further contributions to this effort.”
This is breaking news. It will be updated.
