The proposed casino resort in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana is getting closer to becoming reality. The destiny of the casino complex will be decided by local voters who are to approve the future development. In their bid, the developers now have some help from one of Louisiana’s biggest sports icons. Drew Brees, the former quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, has decided to put his name behind the potential development and support the project.
St. Tammany Voters to Decide the Destiny of the Proposed Casino and Resort
Back in 1996, St. Tammany voters have decided to ban casinos in their parish. Now, Pacific Peninsula Entertainment, the developer of the proposed LA casino, is asking the locals to reverse their decision and allow P2E to develop and run a casino complex near Slidell. In an effort to get the voters on their side, the company has promised to give the parish $35 million. The money would be used to develop a youth sports center in eastern St. Tammany. The parish will receive the money only if the casino bid passes the vote. Many people in the parish feel that they need a sports complex that would allow them to host local youth sports leagues. They also hope that the new spots center will attract traveling teams for the tournaments.
The casino bid received a strong boost on Saturday as Drew Brees expressed his support for the development. Drew Brees’ endorsement is a big get for the campaign as he is revered by sports fans across the state. Brees stated that he owes much o his success to the opportunities to practice his craft as a young kid on the field at his hometown of Austin. He added that the kids across the Northshore deserve a similar opportunity. This is the reason why he supports the proposed development which will include a youth sports complex in St Tammany Parish. The legendary QB ended his statement with a brief recommendation to the voters to vote “Yes” on December 11.
At this point, it’s unclear whether Brees has any role in the casino development.
The Two Sides of Casino Proposal
The proposed casino development also has a lot of opponents among the locals at St Tammany. Several elected officials, businessmen, and church groups have expressed their concern that the casino will cause moral corruption and increase the crime rate in the area. On the other hand, supporters of the projects feel that the new casino complex will provide a much-needed economic boost to the parish. The future revenue will provide funds for local government agencies and public projects, including the planned youth sports center.
Pacific Peninsula Entertainment has already dished out $100,000 of the pledged $35 million. The rest, they say, will be ready when the casino breaks ground. A study has been released saying that the new complex will have a significant impact on the local economy. The estimated financial boost is in the region of $34 million. This includes $21 million of direct spending planned by the third year.
Early voting starts on November 27 and ends on December 4. The regular voting day is scheduled for December 11.
