The IRGC's approval follows more than a decade of efforts by the Cedar Rapids Development Group and its gaming partner, Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E), to establish a casino in Iowa’s second-largest city. The decision comes just days after a proposal to impose a five-year moratorium on new casino licenses failed in the Iowa Senate.

Cedar Rapids developers and contractors will break ground at the site of the Linn County casino Friday at 11 a.m.You can watch the groundbreaking live.The Iowa

The vote comes after some Iowa lawmakers attempted to pass a five-year moratorium to prevent the commission from handing out licenses.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) is set to decide Thursday whether to grant Linn County the gaming license it needs to one day open the proposed Cedar Crossing Casino in Cedar Rapids. IRGC members will open their meeting at 8:30 a.m. at Prairie Meadows in Altoona.

On Thursday, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission approved a gaming license for Linn County, laying the foundation for the City of Cedar Rapids to move forward

The Cedar Rapids project has been years in the making, but market studies suggest it could pull as much as $68 million in annual revenue from existing Iowa casinos. Critics, including Rep. Heather Hora, argue this could harm communities that rely on casino-generated funding, such as her district, home to the Riverside Casino.

Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment center granted license by IRGC on Thursday morning

During Thursday’s Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission meeting, each member of the commission delivered a statement explaining their vote on the Cedar Rapids casino project. Listen to the audio here. Read more on the 4-1 vote to approve the state casino license application here.

Cedar Rapids will move forward with plans for a $275 million casino now that the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission authorized a gaming license for Linn County.