Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps believes the historic Crystal Gardens building is off the table as a possible casino.
Helps says, while the BC Lottery Corporation has not made any official decision, that’s her impression from discussions between BCLC and city staff. Helps says staff have told BCLC that local residents don't want it there.
"We've heard lots of feedback from Humboldt Valley residents," Helps told the C-FAX morning show with Al Ferraby. "I've made sure our staff commutated to BCLC that there had been some degree of concern from people living in that area and I think BCLC took that into consideration.”
Plus, they're worried about the challenge and expense of turning the historic building into a casino. The Crystal Gardens is currently being used as an extension of the Victoria Conference Centre.
The BC Lottery Corporation is looking to add a second casino to the Greater Victoria area, and they’ve selected the city as the location. The View Royal casino will remain the region's primary gaming facility.