There have been several moves that indicate that Comstock Holding Companies Inc. is gearing up to do just that with the media outlet citing evidence that the company has hired six lobbyists who should help argue its case when the Virginia General Assembly session commences on January 10, 2024.
Communicating Readiness to Build a Project If and When
However, this is not the only strategic move exacted by the developer, which is also said to have donated over $500,000 to various political candidates in a bid to secure legislative goodwill and push its case for the construction of a new casino.
The move comes at a time when the fight over who will get to build a casino in Fairfax County is intensifying and there has been sustained interest in the development of one, with Comstock Holding Companies Inc. not lacking any motivation to continue despite the challenges.
All lobbyists will focus exclusively on defending Comstock’s interests during the upcoming session. The Patch noted that Comstock had donated $244,500 to the Building a Remarkable Virginia Political Action Committee.
The media also specified that 14 Comstock employees had donated $29,525 to Del. Wren Williams’s political campaign, with the lawmaker introducing a bill that would have allowed the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to propose a casino referendum on a future ballot. Williams though had been working on a bill prior to the donations it seems.
Comstock is a Fairfax County developer with supposedly well-established connections in the area and is also keen to continue securing work.
Donations and a Long Process That Ultimately Lies with Voters
Another donation was made to Dave Marsden who was also working on a bill seeking to bring a casino project to reality. Altogether, none of these donations raises any red flags, but they indicate that Comstock is very much willing and keen to see a bill that allows it to build in the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station area or around it.
Ultimately, however, the decision would most likely lie with voters as the bills, as they are outlined, are ultimately only going to give the public a right to determine if they want a casino. Comstock has already outlined its plans for a casino in Reston and has indeed presented detailed plans in September 2023, but a final push is still to come – both on the legislative front and then at the ballots.
Comstock’s donations may be trying to steer the ship in a direction that aligns with the company’s business interests, but it will ultimately be a decision made by Fairfax County residents whether a casino property will be arriving any time soon. Plans to open casinos are already underway in Bristol, Portsmouth, and Danville, with further plans discussed in Norfolk and Richmond.