Vancouver City Council voted unanimously to dismiss a provincial proposal to build the largest casino in the West in the city.
The city hotel rooms were filled to overflowing Tuesday that the source of discord led debate the vote and Mayor Gregor Robertson ruled against the casino.
Finally, the Council agreed that the negative impacts of increased gambling addiction and crime simply outweigh the potential benefits of more jobs and income.
Robertson said for the entertainment of 74,000 square metres complex "does not match with the world mark of Vancouver as the most livable city in the world, as the green capital of the world, as a fertile ground for innovation in the clean and digital technologies", in resource management.
"I personally do not believe that the expansion of gambling is the right direction for Vancouver," he said to cheers from the gallery.
"We will take a new look at the options to develop this property."-Minister of the British Columbia Colombia jobs, tourism and Innovation Pat Bell
Paragon Gaming Co., of Las Vegas, said that the casino can be closed at its present False Creek location, and if the extension has not been approved, hundreds of casino jobs could be on the line.
The city already held eight days and nights of public hearings on the issue and must now vote on the amendment of the zoning necessary to move the casino at the former site of the Plaza of Nations to a new location between the stadium and the exit to the Cambie bridge ramp.
The expansion, which would have included approximately 1,500 machines slots and two new hotels, had the support of the provincial government, the Lottery Corporation of British Columbia Colombia, several trade unions and the BC Pavilion Corporation which owns the site and operates BC Place for the province.
The promoters, said the expansion of casino create jobs, attract money from the wealthy gamblers offshore and inject millions of individuals in the economy of taxes and revenue.
But a coalition of residents, social agencies responsible for health and a former senior police officers mounted a vocal battle to stop the project, saying that the costs to society are not worth the financial benefits.
"We will work hard and stay committed to find that casino destination in the Lower Mainland."-Spokesman for paragon games Co. Scott Menke
Minister of employment, tourism and the Innovation Pat Bell professed to make the decision to Vancouver in the wake.
"The provincial government respects the process and the decision of the Council of city of Vancouver", Bell said in a statement after the vote on Tuesday.
"We will take a new look at the options to develop this property." I realized PavCo to work with the Council of Vancouver and the community to ensure that all future decisions in alignment with what the community wants. ?
Bell stated that the decision would not affect the time limits for the revitalization of BC Place.
"On Friday, September 30, the BC Lions will host the Edmonton Eskimos under the new retractable roof - before thousands of spectators in the stadium and a national audience watching on television."
Paragon Gaming spokesman Scott Menke said that the decision of the Council does not change the company's expansion plans
"We will work hard and stay committed to find that casino destination in the Lower Mainland," Menke said. "We believe that was the vision of the BCLC and province when we bought and we will remain committed to that."
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