A casino in Toledo, but on Rossford’s doorstep is scheduled to open in 2012.
Eric Schippers, spokesman for Penn National Gaming, said that the first step will be the formation of the
state gaming commission.
That commission will be charged will writing the rules and regulations governing gambling in the state
and writing the licensing agreements.
Under the provisions of Issue 3, which passed Tuesday, four casinos will be built in the state. In a
addition to the Toledo location, the other three are in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus.
The Toledo site is adjacent to the Pilkington glass works in Rossford on a site that was used for
disposal of waste from the glassmaking process.
Schippers said that some development work will be done on the sites during that period with
groundbreaking expected in 2010. The company expects it to take two years to build with the opening
expected in 2012.
Schippers told Rossford City Council last month that the new casino will have a Hollywood theme. At that
time, he said the casino would employ about 1,200 workers.
The site is owned by River Road Redevelopment of Middletown. Penn National has an option to buy the
property.
Schippers said because the site has already been approved for commercial development, the company doesn’t
expect any problems. "It should be ready to go."
Because the parcel is a "brownfield site" there may be complexities, he added.
The current owner has agreements with the Ohio EPA addressing those issues.