WATCH: Casino reveals plans to Penticton residents

PENTICTON, B.C. – Plans for Lake City Casino’s 4,100 square meter new location at the South Okanagan Events Centre complex were on the table Tuesday night for Penticton residents to review.

Parking impacts from the new, $25 million building between the wine centre and curling rink brought the most questions.

The City of Penticton is proposing building a new paved and lit lot nearby with 143 stalls to help alleviate the problem, a solution that would cost taxpayers $600,000.

While property taxes would be waived for the first 10 years, gaming revenues to the City would be $1.5 million annually. Lake City Casinos would also pay an annual school board tax and lease the property from the City for $250,000 annually.

The City is also looking to spend $100,000 on exterior renovations to the nearby curling rink and another $100,000 to relocate tenants of the wine centre.

Gateway Casinos, the parent company of Lake City Casino, is looking to woo taxpayers ahead of council’s vote on the proposal in January.

Penticton’s economic officer would like to see the casino stay in the city when it vacates the Penticton Lakeside Resort in 2017, when the current and final lease expires.

“Obviously the city has benefited a lot from having the casino,” says Colleen Pennington, Penticton Economic Development Officer. “Certainly they’ve contributed almost $40 million toward the construction of the South Okanagan Events Centre. We get approximately $1.5 million a year from gaming revenue that helps to add to police and fire and all the other services the City provides.”

Gateway says the new facility will create 150 new jobs. If approved, construction would begin in the spring of 2016 with completion in the spring of 2017.

The next information session is Dec 8 from 1-3 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. at the Penticton Ramada Inn.