Having been in the works for several months, in early November, Canada’s largest casino and entertainment company, Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Ltd, officially applied to the Municipality of Delta, British Columbia to build a new gaming and entertainment complex in Ladner on the current Town & Country Inn site at 6005 Hwy 17A.

The application coming almost a year to the day after it was announced by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) that Delta, a B.C. city composed of a trio of distinct communities, one being Ladner, was the location it preferred for a new casino; and one that could net the city on the banks of the Fraser River between $1.5 million and $3 million per year.

On Sept. 7, 2017, the BCLC gave preliminary approval for the development at Town & Country Inn after months of discussions. That, despite having previously said that the location was not suitable due to its proximity to the River Rock Casino located in Redmond and its distance from the Surrey market.

Since that time, a series of public information meetings have been conducted by both Gateway Casinos and the City of Delta in order to get feedback on the proposal from the company.  Delta reportedly held its own public consultations on Nov. 28 and Nov. 30, with a third planned for some time in January, according to the North Delta Reporter.

Prior to Gateway Casinos’ first public consultation session, the company released renderings of Delta’s proposed casino. Representatives from the BCLC and Gateway Casinos spoke with the North Delta Reporter and reportedly offered an exclusive first look at the $70 million construction investment for Delta’s economy.

Director of public relations for Gateway Casinos, Tanya Gabara, said that the company is “eager to engage the community,” and that they’re “ready to commit for the long term.”

Of the 10.8 acre site, nine acres will reportedly be used for parking lots and the building for the proposed development. The 1.8 acres that remain will be kept as green space. The 200,000 square foot facility, at build-out, will cost $70 million in capital investments and reportedly provide up to 700 new hospitality jobs once completed.

In addition to a five-story, 116-room hotel, the proposed Delta casino will feature two dining establishments including Atlas, Gateway’s steak and seafood restaurant and Match, its pub-style brand; meeting facilities and a casino with as many as 600 slots and 24 gaming tables.

The BCLC will reportedly determine the gaming area’s actual content.

The Delta casino will join Gateway’s four casino brands including Grand Villa, Playtime Gaming, Starlight and Cascades. Each has its own particular style and offerings and has locations in Burnaby, Langley, New Westminster and Langley respectively.

Gabara said that Gateway is slowly shifting all of its properties to reflect one of these brands, adding that the company does research into the customers in the community in order to determine which brand is the best fit. “For Delta, we’re still doing that,” Gabara said.