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ROCKAWAY BEACH, Mo. - Two years after a state ballot measure to allow casino gambling in this Lake Taneycomo resort town failed, city leaders are weighing a new proposal for a $144 million casino they hope would bring jobs and development.
One proposal has emerged after the city requested new bids in April. That plan, from developer Don Barden, was presented at a meeting Tuesday attended by about 65 people.
If a contract is approved by the Board of Aldermen, there would be a petition drive to place a state constitutional amendment on the November 2008 ballot to allow the casino to be built on the White River in Rockaway Beach.
Opponents in neighboring Branson said they would again campaign against any move to legalize gambling in Rockaway Beach, which they claim would threaten Branson's reputation as a family friendly destination and would hurt tourism.
Casino gambling in the state is now limited to areas along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. A proposed amendment to the Missouri Constitution that would have allowed a casino there failed in August 2004, with voters opposing it 56 percent to 44 percent.
The new proposal from Barden Development Inc. foresees a three-story casino comparable to the company's casino in Tunica, Miss., with about 40 table games and 1,400 slot machines, company spokesman Steve Lemberg said.
The casino would require an estimated investment of about $144 million, including the cost of the initiative campaign, Lemberg said.
It would feature a buffet, restaurant with a deck and retail along the lakefront. Estimated annual revenue from the operation is up to $34 million for the state and $7.6 million for Taney County.
"If the dream can come true there, it will revitalize that city, and that will be wonderful for everyone there," Lemberg told the Springfield News-Leader.
While Branson is booming, development in Rockaway Beach has been minimal over the past two years and numerous vacant storefronts remain.
Two years ago, the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce opposed Rockaway's casino plans and will do so again, said chamber director Ross Summers.
At that time, some Branson business owners privately said they hoped the casino would be built, but many did not go public with that sentiment, fearing a casino 15 miles away would turn away conservative customers or bring repercussions from opponents.
While chamber membership has not been polled about a Rockaway casino, the chamber's board of directors was unanimous in a recent vote to oppose the spread of gambling, and "they represent a pretty broad cross-section of Branson business," Summers said.
The chamber's stance is based on protecting Branson's family friendly image and other factors, he said.
"It does affect the culture we've developed so carefully over the years. It has a negative affect on families and those who can afford it the least, and it has not been found to be a panacea to those areas expecting huge economic development as a result of a casino," Summers said.
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