Dumfries’ lucky day: Officials break ground for gaming resort and hotel

Officials gathered to break ground on a new 305-room hotel and gaming resort in Dumfries.

Mayor Derrick Wood welcomed residents, state and local officials, and representatives from Pacific Penninsula Entertainment, the parent group of Rosie’s Gaming Emporium in Dumfries, which opened a year ago.

“Our promise to our partners is we Weill continue to make you proud as we have done so in the past year,” said Brent Stevens, Pacific Penninsula Entertainment founder.

Extra: See video of the groundbreaking event including speeches from local and company officials.

When complete in 2024, the new resort will feature 50,000 square feet of pari-mutuel betting (video slot machines) that operate on historical racehorse data, similar to Rosie’s Gaming Emporium. Eight restaurants, a conference center. Eighty acres of parkland will surround the hotel, which will sit on the former site of the Potomac Landfill, a construction debris waste heap just off Interstate 95.

The project is expected to bring thousands to the area weekly, from I-95 to the congested Route 1 corridor. The resort will generate $18 million in new tax revenue for Dumfries and Prince William County.

“We can take what has been an eyesore for the community and turn it into something that is going to create nearly 20 million in tax revenue…that is huge,” said Dumfries Mayor Derrick Wood.

The new resort will compete with MGM National Harbor across the Potomac River in Maryland.

“One of the things that have always bothered me is there is about 350 million in Virginia money going across the bridge every year, paying for Maryland’s schools,” said State Senator Scott Surovell. “So what this does is creates an opportunity for Virginia money to stay in Virginia and to go to Dumfries.”

“I see this in Dumfries and just the beginning of a transformation that is going to spread across Prince William County,” said Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair At-large Ann Wheeler. “We are going through a transformational change in Prince William County, and it’s just starting to open up.”

The Rose will hire 600 employees and pay them each at least $15 an hour, said a company representative.