Virginia Tech football standout Bruce Smith said he belongs to a team that will unveil plans Sunday for a casino in Petersburg.
But Smith, a defensive end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, hasn't made the tackle yet. Five applicants are competing to provide Petersburg a compelling casino-resort construction plan, but only one will be chosen, according to a report in the Virginia Mercury. Smith, a commercial real estate developer based in Virginia Beach, is a co-developer and partner with applicant Cordish Cos. of Baltimore, Maryland, seeking to win selection, according to Andy Poarch, a spokesman for Smith.
Petersburg residents are scheduled to gather at the city library this weekend to hear each proposal. In a prepared release, Smith, who grew up in Norfolk, expressed hope that the community will support "a native Virginian developer … who desires to create a brighter future for a city that has been too long ignored.”
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He added: "When we talk about lifting up communities, our project stands out from any others because it will be the largest minority ownership opportunity in the gaming and hospitality industry in the country ... This project will become a model and inspiration for other projects not only in Virginia, but also throughout the nation."
Delivery company cuts Roanoke jobs
UPS plans to eliminate one of three shifts because of a drop in volume at its Roanoke package hub, the company told the state jobs office in the wake of a recent announcement of job cuts nationwide.
The day shift at the Thirlane Road facility will end June 3, but the facility will remain open. UPS spokeswoman Regina Dalton said the twilight and night shifts will continue.
Raul Simmons, an UPS human resources office, cited "volume loss" resulting in a "lack of available work at this location" as the reason the site will scale back. The positions being eliminated include 120 part-time hourly and seven full-time hourly jobs, along with 22 part-time management and four full-time management posts, Simmons told the Virginia Employment Commission.
UPS management in January forecast 12,000 job cuts this year. Executives reports a decrease of 7.4% in domestic daily package volume last year compared to 2022.
Local 171 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in Salem represents the hourly workers. A union official declined to comment.