The City of Roanoke quietly accepted $75,000 from a casino developer last month, but if you’re looking for details on what the money is for — or who sent it — don’t expect answers anytime soon.
The payment was received January 27, according to a financial transaction record the city released only after an open records request. Beyond confirming the money arrived, city officials aren’t offering much else.
A city spokesperson declined to explain the purpose of the funds, pointing instead to non-disclosure agreements signed by a wide range of city officials — including City Council members, legal staff, and economic development employees. The city is also refusing to identify the casino developer, again citing the NDA.
In other words: the money is real, but the details are off-limits.
Not for Lobbying — Allegedly
What the city will say is what the $75,000 is not being used for.
According to spokesperson Carol Corbin, the funds will not pay for the city’s lobbying contract with Two Capitols Consulting, a Richmond-based firm hired to push Roanoke’s casino ambitions at the General Assembly.
That contract, signed in September 2025, pays the firm $6,000 per month and does not list an end date. Its purpose is to help secure state approval for a casino — approval the city needs before anything can move forward locally.
But that effort appears stalled for now.
Mayor Joe Cobb acknowledged last week that legislative approval is unlikely during this year’s General Assembly session, noting that every member of the region’s state delegation currently opposes the casino proposal.
So the obvious question becomes: if there’s no casino legislation moving this year, what exactly is the lobbying firm doing — and what is the $75,000 actually funding?
City officials haven’t answered either question.
Berglund Center at the Center of It All
The casino proposal is part of a broader plan to redevelop the Berglund Center into an entertainment district — an idea city leaders unveiled publicly last October during an event featuring Cobb, City Manager Valmarie Turner, and Economic Development Director Marc Nelson.
The pitch: a public-private partnership that could bring major upgrades to a civic center that’s become increasingly expensive to maintain.
City Councilman Phazhon Nash didn’t mince words during the first meeting of the newly formed Roanoke Entertainment District Focus Group last week.
The civic center, he said, “once a crown jewel, has become an Achilles’ heel.”
The numbers back that up. The city is subsidizing the Berglund Center by millions of dollars a year, including $2.5 million budgeted for 2025–26 alone, covering both operations and maintenance for a building now more than 50 years old.
Big Promises, Big Questions
According to Cobb, a private investor approached the city last spring with a proposal that would include $30 million in upgrades to the Berglund Center and an additional $300 million investment tied to a casino and related amenities.
But even if state lawmakers were to approve a casino in Roanoke, the deal wouldn’t be final. Virginia law requires voter approval, meaning the public would still get the last word.
That hasn’t stopped the city from ramping up its messaging.
In a commentary sent to the media this week, Cobb urged residents to keep an open mind.
“Transformative ideas are always met with a mix of enthusiasm and trepidation,” he wrote. “Let’s continue to be a City, and region, that says yes to exploring ideas. Saying no doesn’t get us anywhere.”
Naming Rights, NDAs, and Silence
Another unresolved issue hanging over the Berglund Center is its naming rights agreement.
Berglund Automotive signed a 10-year, $1.75 million deal in 2014, which expired on November 30 after being extended during the pandemic. The city has declined to say what’s happened since, citing “ongoing negotiations.”
Berglund Automotive owner William Farrell is a member of the new entertainment district focus group, but the naming rights question didn’t come up during the group’s first meeting. Farrell has not responded to repeated requests for comment.
A Growing Pattern of Withheld Information
Between the undisclosed donor, the unclear use of funds, the ongoing lobbying contract, and the silence surrounding naming rights, a pattern is emerging: key decisions about a major public project are being discussed behind closed doors.
City officials say NDAs are necessary. Critics say transparency is getting lost along the way.
For now, the only thing that’s clear is this: Roanoke is already taking casino money — even as the path forward remains uncertain, unpopular with state lawmakers, and largely unexplained to the public.
And $75,000 is just the beginning.