Features

Richmond City Council members are scheduled to decide the fate of the Point Molate Casino proposal when they meet Tuesday night, Sept. 28, in their chambers at the Marina City Hall, 1401 Marina Way South. 

Councilmembers already signaled their intention to sign the agreement with Upstream Molate LLC, the creation of Berkeley developer James D. Levine, during a unanimous Aug. 31 vote. 

Final action was blocked by a civil injunction filed by ChevronTexaco, owners of the massive refinery just over the hill from the site of the major casino resort, shopping center and hotel complex planned by Upstream and Harrah’s Entertainment, the world’s largest casino company. 

That injunction was overturned last week by a Contra Costa County Superior Court judge, paving the way for a final decision by the council. 

Upstream’s exclusive right to negotiate ended at midnight Monday, leaving the council free, in theory, to sign a deal with another entity. 

In an e-mail sent to his constituents Monday afternoon, Richmond City Councilmember Tom Butt said he expects ChevronTexaco officials to make a more substantial offer for the property than a $34 million offering made on Aug. 13. 

Calls to Dean O’Hair, the oil firm’s Richmond spokesperson, weren’t returned.  

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