Granjeno floats casino proposal

GRANJENO -- The idea is so unusual, who's to say it wouldn't work?

City officials are exploring a proposal to start a casino that would pump revenue into this small town, which currently has only one business - a general store.

Through state Rep. Kino Flores, D-Palmview, Granjeno's leaders have asked Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott for an opinion on whether the city or a local nonprofit organization can take advantage of charity gaming exemptions to anti-gambling laws.

"This would serve as an anchor for economic development here," said Mission consultant Tony Fernandez, who brought the idea to Granjeno's mayor and City Council last week. "If we structure it correctly, we could have raffles and bingo and incorporate a lottery into the community casino."

State exemptions to anti-gambling laws allow some charity raffles, lotteries, eight-liner machines and bingo, according to the Texas Lottery Commission. Those games are easier to administer and control than high-stakes card games, which tend to be at the heart of traditional casinos.

City officials envision a community venue where gaming is supplemented by entertainment, retail and dining, diversions that are difficult to find in a town not even big enough to have any traffic lights.

With sales tax revenue, Granjeno could rely less on infusions of money from state and federal development grants.

"‘Self-sufficient' is the key word," Mayor Vicente Garza Jr. said.

And city leaders aren't setting their sights on any run-of-the-mill casino. They want their venue to be environmentally friendly, a "green casino."

One hurdle the city would have to overcome, though, is its lack of available land to develop such a project.

Tucked between the Rio Grande and the southern boundary of Sharyland Plantation, the city has no options for annexing land. But what it lacks in space, it makes up for in location - the town is right at the foot of the Anzalduas International Bridge currently under construction and slated to open in June 2009.

A casino-type venue would maximize Granjeno's limited space by "building up," city consultant Fernandez said.

"We're thinking outside the box," he said. A multi-story building on the empty swath of land west of City Hall would dwarf the modest homes that line the city's two streets.

Rep. Flores has agreed to submit Granjeno's request to the attorney general, but the lawmaker was skeptical about the project's chances for success. Authorizing eight-liner machines or off-track betting in Granjeno would probably require a ballot initiative, he said.

Other areas have tried to establish or expand gaming, Flores said.

But making it happen typically isn't easy.

"It's an interest a lot of people have," Flores said.

Granjeno advocates remain optimistic, though, pointing out that establishing local, sustainable gambling facilities could bring in money from Mexico for regional transportation infrastructure and other area needs.

Plus, the eight-liners confiscated from illegal establishments across the Rio Grande Valley could find a new home.

____

Sara Perkins covers Mission, western Hidalgo County, Starr County and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4472.