Public presentations by gaming developers will be sponsored by the St. Louis County Economic Council from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, at 121 S. Meramec Ave. in Clayton.

The St. Louis County Economic Council and the St. Louis County Port Authority received three proposals on Nov. 14 from gaming developers interested in developing a facility in south county. Harrah’s Entertainment, Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. and Pinnacle Entertainment submitted the proposals in response to a request for proposals issued by the Economic Council on behalf of the Port Authority and St. Louis County.

Developers will present their proposals to the Selection Committee on Dec. 18. Selection Committee members then will ask questions; the public will be able to submit questions in writing to the developers through the Selection Committee, according to a news release issued by the Economic Council.

The next step is to have the proposals reviewed by the Selection Committee, which will make a recommendation to the Port Authority. The Port Authority, if it accepts the recommendation, will pass on that recommendation to the St. Louis County Council by mid-January.

Selection Committee members include Denny Coleman, president and chief executive officer of the Economic Council who chairs the committee; Sheila Sweeney, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Port Authority; Charlie Wiegers, past chairman of the Board of Directors of the Port Authority and chairman of the Economic Council Board of Directors; Pat Redington, county counselor; and Greg Hayden, president of Luxemberg Realty, president of Bradford Square Properties and chairman of the Lemay Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Committee.

Two consultants will assist the Selection Committee: Dick Shepard of Real Estate Strategies and Dale Lash of Rubin Brown Gornstein and Co. Shepard has expertise in real estate development and review of gaming industry proposals. Lash has worked in the gaming industry, and his firm is a well-known accounting and auditing organization with broad real estate experience.

These consultants will assist the committee in identifying the proposal that would provide the greatest benefit to the local community and the county as a whole, as well as the best chance of success with the Missouri Gaming Commission, according to the news release. The commission must approve any proposal and grant a license to authorize development.