Churchill Downs Announces New Commitments and Investments in the Town of Dumfries

~ Churchill Downs will contribute $2 million to support the creation of a new community center; Commits to fully developing Phase 2 of The Rose Gaming Resort ~

Churchill Downs, Inc. today announced a series of proposed new commitments and investments in the Town of Dumfries where its new gaming resort—The Rose—is nearing completion at its nearly 100-acre site just off I-95.

These commitments and investments include:

• A $2 million contribution to the Town of Dumfries to support the design of a new community center. This is in addition to the on-site public park being developed as part of the project. The total amount of green space and the size of the publicly accessible park are not changing as part of this agreement.

• A one-time contribution of $3.6 million to offset the Town’s unrealized gaming tax revenues based on the previous developer’s projections of when the facility would open.

• A commitment by The Rose that when the resort opens all non-tipped positions will pay at least $15/hour, and that it will work with the Town to promote local hiring.

• A binding commitment that Phase 2 of the project will be developed, which had previously been up to the company’s discretion.

"I am deeply appreciative of the efforts and commitment demonstrated by our town staff and Churchill Downs in working together to enhance the welfare and prosperity of our community,” said Derrick Wood, Mayor of the Town of Dumfries. “The new commitments and investments in Dumfries, including the significant contributions towards a new community center and good wages, reflect a shared dedication to the growth and enrichment of our town. I look forward to continuing to represent the best interests of our community. Together, we are building a stronger, more vibrant Dumfries for everyone."

“We are extremely excited to strengthen our partnership with the Town of Dumfries and we remain committed to always being a good partner in this community,” said Bobbi Sample, General Manager of The Rose Gaming Resort. “We have worked with the Town on an amended proffer and a new Letter of Intent that will better position us to deliver a world-class customer experience at The Rose while also providing additional community benefits to the residents of Dumfries.”

“We are excited to welcome The Rose to Prince William County and thrilled to see that it is committed to creating good paying jobs and developing a strong workforce in our region,” said Robert Sweeney, President and CEO of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce. “The Rose is going to create jobs, revenue, and new facilities that will deliver tremendous benefits for the Town of Dumfries and all of Prince William County.”

These commitments and investments will be included in an amended proffer and new Letter of Intent that will go before the Town Planning Commission and Town Council next week. The agreements, if approved, will permit the company to install additional gaming machines as part of the first phase of the development which will better to meet customer demand. The total number of machines at The Rose remains capped at its previously approved level.

The amended and new agreements will maintain the overall scope of the project which will include a public park, 1,800 games, 8 bars and restaurants, up to 305 hotel rooms, 2,541 parking spaces, meeting and event space, and an entertainment and convention center when completed over the two phases.

The Rose Gaming Resort is projected to open later this year. The new Letter of Intent will include a provision requiring the company to make a monthly, pro-rated payment of $400,000 to offset unrealized gaming taxes if the facility is not open by July 31,2024.

The agreements presented for approval, including the proposed amended proffer, the Letter of Intent and a Memorandum of Understanding governing the operation of the new public park, are available through the Town’s website.

Churchill Downs Incorporated Names Bobbi Sample General Manager of The Rose Gaming Resort

The Dumfries, Virginia, Resort to Open in Spring 2024

LOUISVILLE, KY., (August 17, 2023) – Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: CHDN) announced today the promotion of Bobbi Sample to General Manager of The Rose Gaming Resort (“The Rose”) in Dumfries, Virginia. (Photo attached) In this role, Sample will oversee all operations of The Rose that will include a luxury hotel, eight bars and restaurants, a cultural venue, meeting and event space and over 80 acres of green space. The Rose is expected to open in Spring 2024.

Sample is a veteran hospitality operator who brings over 25 years of leadership experience in the gaming and entertainment industries, most recently serving as the General Manager for Ocean Downs Casino in Berlin, Maryland, where she assisted in opening the $54 million casino property and hiring and training 200 team members. Sample is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is a graduate of the University of Delaware. Prior to her employment with CDI, Sample held leadership positions at Delaware Park Casino and Racetrack and White Clay Creek Country Club at Delaware Park.

“Bobbi’s leadership is a great addition to The Rose, and I look forward to working with her as we move toward the highly anticipated opening and the many benefits this project will have for the community.” said Jack Sours, Vice President of Gaming Operations for CDI.

“I’m honored and excited to further my career with CDI as the company continues to expand and create extraordinary experiences in Virginia.” said Sample. “We’re prepared to hit the ground running and I’m eager to welcome new team members to the Churchill Downs family over the coming months.”

Sample’s promotion is effective immediately. CDI has initiated a search to fill the position of General Manager of Ocean Downs Casino.

Topping Out for The Rose Gaming Resort in Dumfries Thursday, January 5 – 10:45 a.m.

WHAT: Yates Construction will host a traditional “Topping Out” ceremony to highlight progress in the building of The Rose Gaming Resort in Dumfries. When fully built, the $400 million investment project will include up to a 350-room hotel, more than 50,000 square feet of gaming space, eight bars and restaurants, a cultural venue, a space for meetings and events, and over 80 acres of green space with miles of bike and fitness trails, athletic fields, and a playground.

WHEN: Thursday, January 5, 10:45 am

WHERE: 3730 Greentree Lane, Dumfries VA 22026 (This is a construction site so dress appropriately – hardhats are not required during the topping out.)

WHY: The Rose Gaming Resort will generate an estimated $59 million in annual tax revenues and have more than 600 team members. This project will also enhance community partnerships.

HOW: Brief remarks will be made by Dumfries Mayor Derrick Wood and other project leaders as part of the ceremony.

The Rose to Host Free Fireworks in Dumfries on Saturday

WHAT: The Rose® in Dumfries is joining with the Town of Dumfries and Mayor Derrick Wood to celebrate America’s freedom with fireworks for all to see and enjoy. The event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Saturday, July 9, 9:00 p.m. 

WHERE: Cecil W Garrison Park, 17749 Main Street, Dumfries.

WHY: Everyone loves fireworks! The Rose® and its partners are very active in the communities where we are located through our Rosie’s Gives Back program. Colonial Downs Group and Rosie’s are proud to have made direct monetary and in-kind donations of more than $2,350,000 and have logged over 2,750 service hours in Virginia communities.

HOW: Help us spread the word through your media outlet. Media is welcome to join us for this community event. Please let us know by return email if you plan to attend.

From longtime landfill blooms ‘The Rose’: Officials break ground on Dumfries’ new gaming ‘resort’

By Aileen M. Streng Contributing Writer, Prince Williams Times

Prosperity is coming to Dumfries and Prince William County, according to those who spoke at the ground-breaking ceremony Tuesday morning for “The Rose Gaming Resort,” a nearly $400 million gaming facility, hotel and public park set to open in 2023.

“We couldn’t be more excited to take this next step towards bringing more well-paying jobs, increased tax revenues to this region and the commonwealth,” said Aaron Gomes, chief operating office of Colonial Downs Group, which is building The Rose. “We will do it by building a top-notch tourist destination right here.”

The ceremony was held at the Potomac Landfill, a longtime construction debris landfill located at the southwest edge of Dumfries bordered by Va. 234 and Interstate 95, agains the backdrop of dump trucks still hauling trash to the site. About 50 people braved the frigid, 25-degree weather to attend the event.

The landfill is closing at the end of January, about 10 years ahead of schedule. It has been in operation since 1984. Work on the new gaming facility will begin with capping the landfill, which Colonial Downs Group must do before construction can begin. That process is expected to start within the next few months.

The gaming resort will feature a hotel with up to 305 rooms, eight restaurants, a 1,500-foot conference and meeting space, a cultural events center and 50,00 square feet of gaming space. Colonial Downs, which will own the gaming facility, has promised the project will be accompanied by a new public park. The park will be built atop the closed landfill, which encompasses 80 acres of the 93-acre site. Colonial Downs will maintain the park for 10 years before turning it over to the town.

Colonial Downs opened Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, a smaller gaming outlet, a year ago in the Triangle Shopping Center in Dumfries. It will close when The Rose opens.

Gomes described Rosie’s as “a terrific success.”

“That’s why we know we can do more and create something that is even bigger and better” in Dumfries, he added.

“It’s time to create something new and exciting that will benefit our community,” said Dumfries Mayor Derrick Wood. In addition to the tax revenue The Rose will generate, Wood said he’s “most excited about the green space that will come.”

“I believe it will be a centerpiece of our community. I’m extremely hopeful for what Dumfries will become in the years ahead,” Wood said.

The park will include more than two miles of hiking and fitness trails, historical preservation sites, sport areas, playgrounds and a dog park.

“I see this in Dumfries as a transformation that will spread across Prince William County,” said Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair Ann Wheeler, D-At large. “This will bring people to Dumfries and Prince William County.”

State Sen. Scott Surovell, D-36th, said The Rose will allow Dumfries and Prince William County to get a share of the tax revenue generated by Virginia residents who travel to Maryland to gamble.

“What has always bothered me is the $350 million going across the bridge every year” to the MGM National Harbor Casino in Maryland, Surovell said. “What this does is create an opportunity for Virginia money to stay in Virginia and go to Dumfries.”

“Twenty years from now, Prince William County is going to look like a very different place,” Surovell said. “This creates a real opportunity to maximize that.”

“We are committed to Virginia, Dumfries and Prince William County and we are in it for the long hall,” said Brent Stevens, founder and chairman of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, the parent company of Colonial Downs Group.

The Rose is Virginia’s first casino-sized gaming facility that’s technically not a casino. By state code, gambling at “The Rose” will be limited to off-track betting and historic horse race betting machines, which are similar to slot machines.

The Rose is projected to employ about 600 people and generate an estimated $11 million in annual tax revenues for the town of Dumfries and an additional $8 million for Prince William County when fully operational, according to an economic development study prepared for Colonial Downs.

Groundbreaking for The Rose Gaming Resort in Dumfries

WHAT: Colonial Downs Group and Peninsula Pacific Entertainment are investing more than $400 million in Northern Virginia. Revenues generated from the project will potentially triple the Town of Dumfries annual budget. Local dignitaries will help break ground on this important effort. The Rose Gaming Resort, when fully built, will include a luxury hotel, more than 50,000 square feet of gaming space, eight bars and restaurants, a cultural venue, a space for meetings and events, and over 80 acres of green space with miles of bike and fitness trails, athletic fields, and a playground.

WHEN: Tuesday, January 11, 11:00 am

WHERE: 3730 Greentree Lane, Dumfries VA 22026 (This is a construction site so dress appropriately – hardhats are not required during the groundbreaking.)

WHY: Helping the town close an industrial landfill ahead of schedule, when fully built, The Rose Gaming Resort will generate an estimated $59 million in annual tax revenues and have more than 600 team members. This project will also enhance community partnerships. Colonial Downs Group and Rosie’s are proud to have made direct monetary and in-kind donations of more than $1,410,000 and have logged over 2,500 service hours in Virginia communities.

HOW: Brief remarks will be made prior to the groundbreaking. Individual interviews available afterwards. Please let us know by return email if you plan attend.

About Colonial Downs®: Colonial Downs Group is a proud business operator in Virginia employing more than 1,000 team members in the Commonwealth, paying over $30 million in annual salaries, wages, and benefits. Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums® in Richmond, Hampton, New Kent, Vinton, and Dumfries offer innovative historic horseracing (HHR) gaming technology and full card simulcasting. Colonial Downs Group also recently opened a Rosie’s Game RoomTM in Collinsville, which features a limited selection of some of their best HHR titles. Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent County hosts live thoroughbred racing on two nationally renowned surfaces – Secretariat Turf Course, the widest turf course in North America at 180 feet wide; and on a 1 1/4 mile dirt track, second in length to only the world-famous Belmont Park. Colonial Downs Group has made a $350 million investment in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The company pays more than $32 million in annual state and local taxes plus an additional $12 million in racing industry payments annually.

Colonial Downs Group to Invest Over $400 Million and Create Hundreds of New Jobs in Virginia in 2022

Groundbreaking Events Slated in Dumfries and Emporia

RICHMOND – December 17, 2021 – Colonial Downs Group is gearing up for another exciting year in Virginia with two major groundbreaking events in Dumfries on January 11 and Emporia during the first quarter of 2022. Local and civic leaders in both communities will join Colonial Downs Group team members to launch game-changing economic development projects that will spark construction spending, significantly increase tax revenues, and create over 700 well-paying permanent jobs.

Aaron Gomes, Chief Operating Officer of Colonial Downs Group, stated, “We came to Virginia four years ago promising to help spawn a revitalization of the state’s horse industry, deliver a new form of fun entertainment, provide a consistent source of tax revenues for the Commonwealth and localities where we operate, grow the state’s workforce, and build-up communities through charitable investments of time and money. We have delivered on all of those promises and are proud to be part of the fabric of Virginia.”

Colonial Downs Group will invest more than $429 million developing a new gaming and entertainment destination in Dumfries with The Rose Gaming Resort project. Helping the town close an industrial landfill ahead of schedule, The Rose Gaming Resort, when fully built, will include up to a 350-room hotel, eight bars and restaurants, a cultural venue, a space for meetings and events, and over 80 acres of green space with miles of bike and fitness trails, athletic fields, and a playground. The Rose Gaming Resort will generate an estimated $59 million in annual tax revenues and have more than 600 team members.

Colonial Downs Group will invest more than $20 million developing a Rosie’s Gaming Emporium® in Emporia following a successful voter referendum in November. The Emporia Rosie’s will have 150 gaming machines with the latest technology and state-of-the-art graphics. When fully built, Rosie’s Gaming Emporium will generate an estimated $600,000 in annual tax revenue for the City of Emporia and have more than 100 team members.

Colonial Downs Group has successful operations in New Kent, Richmond, Hampton, Vinton, Dumfries and Collinsville. Colonial Downs Group and Rosie’s are proud to have made direct monetary and in-kind donations of more than $1,410,000 and have logged over 2,500 service hours in Virginia communities.