Parq Casino (formerly Parq Vancouver) is a resort and casino in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Located adjacent to BC Place, the resort features two Marriott International hotels (consisting of the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver and spa, and Autograph Collection hotel The Douglas) with a combined 517 rooms and suites, a 6,700 m2 (72,000-square-foot) casino, bars and restaurants, and 5,800 m2 (62,000 square feet) of event space. Parq opened in September 2017, replacing the Edgewater Casino at the Plaza of Nations; it was developed by Edgewater owner Paragon Gaming in partnership with Dundee Corporation and PBC Group, via the joint venture Parq Holdings Limited. Paragon sold its stake in the property in 2019.
History
Development In 2010, Paragon Gaming—operator of the Edgewater Casino at Enterprise Hall—proposed a $500 million expansion and re-location of the casino to a vacant site adjacent to the west end of BC Place. Paragon CEO Scott Menke had frequently visited Vancouver during the development of the River Cree Casino on Enoch Cree Nation 135, and became increasingly interested in developing a new downtown casino there after being impressed by its hosting of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The new building was estimated to be three times larger than the interim Edgewater Casino, and feature as many as 1,500 slot machines and 150 table games (in comparison to 600 slot machines and 75 tables). The proposal was backed by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) and BC Place operator BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo). On April 12, 2011, Paragon announced an agreement with Marriott International to build two luxury hotels as part of the casino. The new casino was opposed by anti-gambling groups (including the lobbying group Vancouver Not Vegas) and former police officers, who believed that expanding casino gaming in downtown Vancouver would exacerbate gambling addiction and organized crime activity. Then-mayor Gregor Robertson was also opposed to the project, and proposed a moratorium on any further applications seeking to expand gaming in Vancouver. In April 2011, Vancouver City Council approved the future relocation of Edgewater Casino's license to the proposed property, but blocked Paragon's proposed expansion of gaming. Menke later admitted that the company did not perform enough consultation on the original proposal. In March 2013, Paragon reached a master development agreement with PavCo for the leased land, which it promoted as "Site 10a". In September 2013, Paragon announced a revised proposal for the new casino in partnership with Dundee Corporation and 360 Vox Corporation, repositioning it as a $535 million "urban resort" with an array of hospitality amenities and event space alongside the casino. The project would be anchored by two Marriott hotels, including a JW Marriott and a "boutique" Autograph Collection hotel. While the casino would have a larger floor space, it would maintain the same number of slot machines and tables as Edgewater. Dundee CEO Ned Goodman stated that the property would be "a resort centrepiece where people can see a game, concert or show; meet, work, or stay." Amid continued lobbying efforts, the project was a granted a preliminary development permit in December 2013; the city imposed conditions requiring Paragon to adhere to its commitment to not expand gaming, and to establish a responsible gambling framework aligned with the recommendations of Provincial Health Officer Perry Kendall (including considerations regarding the provision of ATMs and the sale of liquor in the casino space, among others). The property would also be required to meet LEED Gold environmental standards.
Construction The project, now known as the Parq Vancouver, broke ground in December 2014. Construction was originally expected to be completed in late-2016 for an opening in early-2017. Former BCLC CEO Mike Graydon was hired to serve as president of Parq Holdings, a joint venture of Paragon, Dundee, and Ottawa-based PBC Group; the BC Comptroller General later found that Graydon was engaged in a conflict of interest with Paragon relating to Parq before he departed from the BCLC. Graydon subsequently repaid approximately $55,000 in salary, and later stepped down from Parq in 2015. In June 2016, the opening of Parq Vancouver was delayed to fall 2017 The project went $95 million over its budget; costing an estimated $640 million in total, it became British Columbia's largest privately-funded development.
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