The old mining towns on Clear Creek said they were losing population, and they complained that the towns were literally crumbling. Limited-stakes gambling would bring prosperity, they said, and the voters of Colorado approved a constitutional amendment legalizing it in three towns. Then, Black Hawk exploited its geographical advantage over Central City. Black Hawk is a wee bit closer to Denver than Central City, which is about a mile off of Colo. 119. Central City got only 10 percent.
Central City wants a bigger piece of the pie.
A developer agreed to help pay for this road if Central City annexed land it owned. Under Colorado law, a city may annex land if half of the landowners request the annexation. The developer got the necessary signatures and presented a petition to the Central City Council in early November 1998. But Black Hawk had a trump. Then, the city divided ownership among 13 entities that were tied to Black Hawk casinos.