Staff Writer
After a marathon public meeting earlier in the week, Las Vegas Sands Corp., the casino giant behind a proposed “destination resort” near the former Texas Stadium site, asked Irving City Council members on Thursday afternoon to strip the casino gambling portion from the proposed zoning amendment.
Speaking to council members during a scheduled public workshop hours before the City Council meeting, Mark Boekenheide, a Sands Corp. executive overseeing the company’s global real estate footprint, said the company’s pivot was in part a result of the the concerns raised by speakers during Monday’s meeting.
Another factor in the decision to pull back their initial request, he explained, was the uncertainty of when or if gambling would be legalized in Texas. The Texas Legislature would need to vote to send a constitutional amendment to voters state-wide for consideration.
The future of the resort proposal remained uncertain. Boekenheide did not say the company was abandoning the project but emphasized that casino gaming was essential for it to move forward.
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Billionaire Miriam Adelson, whose family owns Las Vegas Sands casinos and bought a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks in 2023, has poured millions into political donations in a push to legalize gambling — something that may face long odds in the Legislature this session.
The heel turn comes days after a contentious meeting of the planning and zoning commission meeting that stretched past midnight.
The meeting’s public comment period began Monday afternoon and ran into early Tuesday morning, culminating in a narrow 5-4 vote to recommend that the City Council approve the amendment.
The request to backtrack Sand Corp.‘s initial request Thursday came toward the end of Boekenheide’s remarks. His presentation largely echoed what he showed planning and zoning commissioners Monday, but he went on to address the concerns raised and allegations made against the company.
“We heard concern and we heard fear. What we didn’t hear was any acknowledgment or realization of what I just showed you as an opportunity for Irving,” Boekenheide told City Council members. “We heard this company, Las Vegas Sands, and myself branded as liars.”
During the public comment session Monday, most speakers critiqued Sands Corp.’s plans, citing a range of concerns regarding public safety and gambling addiction. Some framed their opposition in religious terms and argued gambling would undermine the city’s family-friendly character.
One of Sands Corp.‘s biggest neighbors, the University of Dallas, was among those to voice concerns about the plans and its potential effects.
Fewer speakers supported the zoning change, but those who did highlighted the potential economic benefits of the Sands Corp. proposal.
Boekenheide had said the project is projected to generate as many as 9,000 full-time and well-paying jobs. The investment could total as much as $4 billion, possibility netting millions in tax revenues for Irving.
The City Council meeting where the changed zoning amendment would be considered and possibly put to a vote is scheduled to begin this evening.
Chase Rogers is a breaking news reporter at The Dallas Morning News. He grew up in Granbury, just outside the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and studied journalism at Texas State University in San Marcos. Before joining The News, he reported for the Austin American-Statesman and the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. He can be reached at 361-239-6527.
