BRISTOL, Va. — It's still quiet at the old mall in Bristol, Virginia, but officials said they are one step closer to live betting in the city.
The Bristol casino group said to our NBC affiliate, WCYB, in a statement that they have submitted a demolition plan to the city.
"This plan relates to preliminary site evaluation work at the Mall that we need to complete before finalizing our design for the temporary casino," they said. We continue to work closely with the Virginia Lottery on next steps for construction of the temporary gaming facility, and planning for the permanent one. We appreciate the ongoing cooperation and assistance from local and state officials for all necessary permitting and licensing requirements."
City manager Randy Eads said it's a lengthy process but plans continue to move forward.
"We know it will take time for the lottery board to do their investigation and make sure they have everything they need to get the proper licensing," he said.
Casino officials are currently waiting on the Virginia Lottery Board to approve their gaming license.
"What I do believe is the casino and Hard Rock will follow each and every one of those regulations to make sure the people have the best experience possible here in Bristol," said Eads.
The city is also looking to complete a traffic study in the near future for Gate City Highway.
"We do have to be thinking in the future, police fire, how many people will we need for that? How many other types of services will we need to provide that we are not providing right now?"
The temporary casino is still on track to be open in the Summer of 2022.
Hard Rock expects 4 million visitors per year. The casino and resort is expected to open at the end of 2022 or early 2023.