Silver Spring-based Urban One, a multimedia entertainment and information company, is in the bidding to run a very different type of property—a casino/resort in Richmond, Va.
Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins, accompanied by local leaders, announced plans Tuesday for a proposed ONE Casino and Resort, a $517 million gaming, dining and entertainment venue on the south side of town, according to WRIC-TV in Richmond.
According to the report, it would be the first Black-owned casino and resort in the country.
“Plans include a luxury hotel with 150 rooms, state of the art 3,000-seat theater with 200 shows annually with a partnership through Live Nation, a television production studio, and partnerships with [Virginia Union University], the Black History and Culture Museum and black-owned Richmond restaurants like Perch, Mama J’s, Southern Kitchen, Stella’s, EAT Restaurant Partners and Richmond Restaurant Group offerings,” the station reported.
Urban One’s is one of at least four proposals submitted to the city council. Principals in one of the four, Bally’s, include NFL Hall of Famer Darrell Green, former cornerback for the Washington Football Team, according to the Washington Business Journal.
The city will choose a preferred operator and place it before voters on a referendum in November, the reports added.
Urban One’s brands include TV One, Radio One, Reach Media, iOne Digital and One Solution. The company claims to reach 82% of Black Americans with its outlets.
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