The public will have a chance to sound off on the proposed mega casino at Point Molate tonight when the Richmond City Council considers the final environmental impact report.

The council will hold a public hearing and then vote on the report, which, if approved, paves the way for cleanup and other measures at the site, along the shoreline just north of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.

Approving the report does not mean the project will be built. But it allows cleanup to proceed, which is necessary no matter what the city decides to do with the land, said City Councilman Tom Butt.

The $1 billion project would include a Las Vegas-style casino, a hotel, a shopping center and housing for the resort owners, the Guidiville Band of Pomo Indians.
Outlook for the project remains dim, after an anti-casino majority took over the City Council in the Nov. 2 election, and voters rejected Measure U, an advisory measure in support of the plan.