For some time now, a convention center known as the Crystal Garden in Victoria, British Columbia was being considered for a second casino in the region. Now, according to local officials, the site is no longer one under consideration due to being a painstaking process.
Jocelyn Jenkyns is the Deputy City Manager who stated that the British Columbia Lottery Corporation notified them that trying to repurpose the convention center for casino gaming would a painstaking process. Another problem was parking. The BCLC noted that their decision to take away Crystal Gardesn from the potential site list was due to parking, though Jenkyns stated that the venue does have underground parking in place. Local media outlets were told by the BCLC that no final decisions have been made as to where the second casino will be placed in the capital region.
Reportedly, there was opposition to the Crystal Garden facility being used as a casino so taking the site out of the competition is a good thing for many residents. Emails had been sent by residents of Victoria to the City Council in opposition to the site being used as a gaming venue.
It was earlier this year that the British Columbia Lottery Corporation announced that Victoria was going to be the host to the second casino of the region. A time frame for when a new venue will be created is unknown as the BCLC had to find a partner to run the casino. Any location that is chosen will have to be rezoned to be able to accommodate a casino property. Along with Victoria, the Sannich District is also being considered as a potential host for the gaming venue.