County Council Chairman John Campisi, R-south county, last week introduced legislation for a four-lane road that literally will pave the way for the new casino in Lemay.

The legislation, if approved, would enter the county into an intergovernmental coop-eration agreement that would allow construction to begin on the access road that will follow the southern side of the River Des Peres, linking Interstate 55 to the fu-ture site of the casino at the north end of the former National Lead site.

“I’m in favor of the road that they want to use. The road that they want to use will go past the (former site of the) Defense Map-ping Agency, and the casino is willing to spend up to $20 million to fix that whole road up,” Campisi told the Call.

County Executive Charlie Dooley had recommended that the council enter into the agreement at the June 21 meeting.

As proposed, the legislation would enter the county and the St. Louis County Port Authority into an intergovernmental cooperation agreement with the city of St. Louis, the Land Reutilization Authority of the city of St. Louis, the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District and Pinnacle Enter-tainment Inc. for the construction and maintenance of the road.

Pinnacle will fund the construction of the access road, which will be maintained by St. Louis County.

Pinnacle plans to build a $300 million dollar entertainment complex on 56 acres of land leased from the St. Louis County Port Authority.

It will include a 30,000-slot casino, res-taurants, retails shops, a movie theater, a hatch-shell amphitheater, an ice-skating rink, a bowling alley and a 100-room luxury hotel.

The Missouri Gaming Commission in May approved Pinnacle’s request for a permanent dock at the site, as well as preliminary approval of the proposed design of the complex.

The company also will develop a 24-acre public park, which would include a water park and a community center that will be joined with Lemay County Park.

“Not only will that bring in the needed jobs in the area, but it will also spruce up the area for the people in the Lemay area,” Campisi said.