Woodbine Casino Expansion Plans
REQUEST FOR CREDENTIALS Woodbine Casino Expansion Project Public Art Program. Closing Date: May 18, 2020 5:00 PM EST Public Art Management, on behalf of One Toronto Gaming, are excited to announce this Request for Credentials (RFC) to all professional artists as part of the Woodbine Casino Expansion project in Toronto, Canada. In 2018, the City of Toronto signed a community benefits agreement (CBA) with One Toronto Gaming, which operates Casino Woodbine in the Rexdale area of Toronto and is part of a multi-year proposed development project that includes expansion at the casino, two hotels, several restaurants and retail stores, a 4,200-seat event venue, and a 5,000. Woodbine Entertainment Group, the owning company of Mohawk Racetrack in Ontario, revealed its plans to expand the racetrack into a full-blown casino.The Group’s CEO, Jim Lawson, has already said that residents in Milton liked the idea of having more gambling options on the slots floor that currently offers 850 machines. Toronto is getting a new casino. Earlier today, city council approved the much debated expansion of the Woodbine Racetrack in Etobicoke into a gambling wonderland with five new facilities.
UPDATED: On Tuesday night, Mayor John Tory's executive committee gave its stamp of approval to the Woodbine casino expansion, with a few caveats.
Several amendments were made, including exploring the possibility of child care for casino employees and beefing up hiring targets.
The interim city manager is set to report back to the full city council next week.
The proposed casino expansion at Woodbine Racetrack could bring in roughly $30 million in annual revenue for the city and provide hundreds of jobs to local workers, but critics aren't sure the project is a safe bet.
A recent report from interim city manager Giuliana Carbone notes that in 2022, when the facility is fully built-out, the city can expect to receive $26 to $31 million a year, according to estimates from the province's Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).
'Is this the right way to fund government, by preying on people's addiction?' questioned Coun. Mike Layton, who has been a vocal critic of the project. 'Most of the money that comes into casinos is from people who have a problem with gambling.'
Layton also believes the potential expansion isn't living up to previous promises.
The latest annual city revenue numbers, he notes, are lower than earlier projections. He also says the most recent report doesn't dive into the potential costs to the city, be it policing or social costs stemming from problem gambling.
City has 21 conditions on hiring, problem gambling
Carbone's report suggests city council put a stamp of approval on the efforts of service provider Ontario Gaming GTA LP to meet various conditions laid out by council in 2015, which include mitigating the negative impacts of gambling by working with city staff and the medical officer of health.
Those 21 conditions also include boosting tourism and providing jobs, with a commitment to having at least 40 percent of employees hired in the community and through local social agencies.
All the conditions have all been met, notes the report, which also recommends the city enter into a formal Community Benefits Agreement with Ontario Gaming.
'We think it could be stronger'
Rosemarie Powell, executive director of advocacy group Toronto Community Benefits Network, wants the number of local hires boosted to 60 percent and hopes child care will be provided for workers at the Rexdale-based racetrack.
Woodbine Racetrack Future Plans
'We want to see reporting and oversight mechanisms so the public can be assured that jobs and investments will actually benefit the local community,' she said.
3,700 new jobs expected by end of 2022
By the end of 2022, the facility is expected to provide roughly 3,700 new jobs.
Carbone's report says Ontario Gaming plans to ensure at least half of the employees will be working full-time after two years of operation.
As CBC reported last year, many northern Etobicoke residents are hopeful that the casino expansion will revitalize an area that lost upwards of 20,000 jobs between 2001 and 2011.
Woodbine Casino Expansion Plans Plan
The multi-use development is touted by Woodbine Entertainment Group as a 'city within a city,' with shopping, offices, two hotels and a performance venue alongside the expanded gaming facility.
A new set of ambitious plans have been revealed for the site of Woodbine Racetrack, a privately owned 684 acre plot of land that's been the subject of various redevelopment proposals over the years.
Woodbine Casino Expansion Plans Prices
The latest master plan seeks to remake the site as 'a city within a city,' which would include an array of uses, from expanded entertainment offerings to restaurants, hotels, retail, office space, housing and even educational facilities.
Woodbine Casino Expansion Plans List
Led by Woodbine Entertainment Group, the development would unfold in two phases. The first would bolster Woodbine's hospitality and gaming offerings in keeping with conditions laid out by the city of Toronto.
WEG believes it can attract 12 to 15 million people per year with expanded entertainment and gaming amenities, which is double its current numbers.
There have been various plans for expanded retail and gaming here before, not to mention a full blown casino, but nothing major has come to fruition. Just last year, Woodbine announced plans for a 5,000 capacity concert venue at the site.
Woodbine Casino Expansion Plans Floor Plans
Jim Lawson, WEG's CEO, thinks now might be the right time for large scale redevelopment thanks to various transit infrastructure projects in the works, including the proposed, but unfunded Pearson rail hub.
Woodbine Casino Expansion Project
Shovels could break ground on phase one as early as next year, Lawson claims, but the second and more dramatic stage currently lacks a timeline.