Comstock Companies

RICHMOND, VA — Two Northern Virginia lawmakers in recent days have criticized the Tysons casino bill working its way through legislative committees, with one delegate saying the proposal lacks local support and another voicing opposition because of the absence of state gaming oversight. The casino legislation was re-referred to the Virginia House of Delegates's appropriations committee at the request of Speaker Don Scott's (D-Portsmouth). After the Virginia Senate approved SB 982 last Tuesday on a 24 to 16 vote, the legislation was referred on Friday to the General Laws Committee, which is due to meet on Tuesday. "The Speaker has requested the bill be re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations," said Del. David Bulova (D-Fairfax), the general laws chair. "So, it will be on the agenda for General Laws full committee on Tuesday, but it will be under administrative actions and won't be debated at that time." Comstock Holding Companies, a Reston-based developer, has spent more than $1.5 million since 2023 to pass legislation allowing a casino to be built on Metro's Silver Line outside the Capital Beltway in Fairfax County. The project would include a 4 million-square-foot entertainment district in Tysons that would feature a high-end hotel with gaming floor, convention center, concert venue, restaurants, retail, and workforce housing. In addition, 200,000 square feet of the district would be dedicated to a casino. Bulova told Patch on Monday that he has been a longtime opponent of casinos in Virginia regardless of their location. Related: Tysons Casino Bill Advances: What To Know "They are difficult investments to maintain — and while they can be revenue generators, it is important to recognize that they come with social costs, including gambling addiction," Bulova said. "But key with SB982 is that Fairfax County has not asked for this. All the other five localities that have held a referendum have come to the General Assembly with a proposed development partner and have asked for that authority. That local buy-in is critical because ultimately the locality will need to 'own' the consequences, both good and bad, of having a casino. To me, it is a dangerous precedent for the General Assembly to short-circuit the process without local buy-in." During a town hall meeting in the Franconia District on Saturday, Del. Paul Krizek (D-Alexandria) told attendees he planned to vote against SB982. As chair of the General Laws' ABC/Gaming subcommittee, he expected to vote in opposition during both the subcommittee and full committee. As a member of the appropriations committee, Krizek told Patch on Monday that he was still planning to vote against the bill when it comes up there. Krizek introduced House Bill 2498, which would establish the Virginia Gaming Commission in order to regulate gaming across the state. The bill failed after reaching the house appropriations committee. “We’ve got to get control of gambling,” Krisek said, during a Feb. 1 town hall in the Mount Vernon District. “My feeling is that we’ve done gaming throughout Virginia. We have five casino licenses, only three of those are up and running. So we’ve got two more to come. Let’s take a deep breath and pause for this.” Although the house appropriations committee is scheduled to meet on Monday afternoon, SB982 was not on the day's agenda as of 11:30 a.m. The committee next meets on Wednesday afternoon. Read all of Patch's reporting on the plan to build a casino on Metro's Silver Line in Fairfax County at Silver Line Casino. Since the proposal to build a casino in Tysons first came to light, a tidal wave of opposition developed in Tysons and the surrounding communities. Most recently, the Vienna Town voted to reaffirm its opposition to the bill. Sixty-six comments were posted on the bill's comment page on the general assembly's website. All 66 commenters said they opposed the legislation. "A casino is not now, nor has it ever been included in Fairfax County’s Comprehensive Plan for Tysons," said Mayor Linda Colbert in a statement. "The consensus from the community is that no amount of monetary gain a casino might bring to our region is worth the negative impacts on our family friendly community. That is why we are encouraging everyone in Vienna and the greater-Vienna area to contact their state representatives and tell them to oppose the casino bill."» Mehr auf patch.com

RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comstock Holding Companies, Inc. (Nasdaq: CHCI) (“Comstock”), a leading asset manager, developer, and operator of mixed-use and transit-oriented properties in the Washington, D.C. region, announced today the signing of a new 32,000-square-foot office lease at 1906 Reston Metro Plaza in Reston Station with FM Global, an international commercial property insurance and loss prevention company. FM Global is one of the world's largest and most experienced commercial pro.» Mehr auf businesswire.com

RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comstock Holding Companies, Inc. (Nasdaq: CHCI) (“Comstock”), a leading asset manager, developer, and operator of mixed-use and transit-oriented properties in the Washington, D.C. region, announced today that it has been named in the 2025 Best Workplaces for Commuters U.S. list for the 6th consecutive year. Best Workplaces for Commuters (BWC) is the leading national authority dedicated to recognizing and supporting employers that offer outstanding commuter benefits.» Mehr auf businesswire.com