Norfolk casino plans revised as developers aim to meet 2025 deadline
A Norfolk casino that local voters approved in the November 2020 election is being evicted again in hopes of pleasing city officials.
The Pamunkey Indian Tribe unveiled new plans for HeadWaters Resort & Casino this week in partnership with billionaire Jon Yarbrough. Jon Yarbrough made his fortune in Video Gaming Technologies, a gaming maker he sold for $1.3 billion in 2014.
The latest vision still calls for a $500 million investment, but the new design moves the resort inland from the Elizabeth River and no longer includes a marina. The changes come as the city moves forward with building a 17-foot seawall to contain flooding.
The latest concept spans approximately 963,000 square feet. But the land would cover only 6.5 acres of the 13.5 acres the tribe tentatively plans to purchase from the city for $10 million.
The tribe announced Tuesday that it will break ground on building the resort from north to south early next year, pending city approval. The first phase of the casino to open will be 45,000 square feet, with 800 to 1,000 slot machines and about 25 gaming tables.
Subsequent construction will focus on a 300-room hotel, rooftop pool and approximately 18,000 square feet of event space. The casino later expanded by 20,000 square feet.
Other attractions and amenities include a 180-seat sports book and restaurant, bar, quick-service restaurant, 1,200-space garage and 3,000-square-foot spa.
Deadline November 2025
Time flies by as the city's November 2025 deadline for the Pamunkey Indian Tribe to begin casino operations is specified in the host agreement. While casinos or temporary casinos have opened in three other Virginia cities where voters have approved commercial gambling — Portsmouth, Bristol and Danville — repeated design and legal issues have stalled the Norfolk gambling project.
In July, the Pamunkey and Yarbrough families unveiled a $500 million project that would be built in two phases. The idea was rejected by city officials, who said their hosting agreement required the developer to build and open the entire resort in one construction phase.
I was involved in discussions where they were going to build the entire project, and what was submitted in the past was unacceptable,” Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander told The Virginian-Pilot this week.
The tribe had previously planned to open a temporary casino in Harbor Park while building a permanent resort. The idea was abandoned because Virginia gambling laws required temporary casinos to operate only at the same physical mailing address as the permanent casino.
The Tribe remains committed
HeadWaters spokesman Jay Smith said the tribe remains committed to the casino and Norfolk. According to the latest construction schedule, construction would need to begin in the spring of 2024 in order to be completed by the Nov. 1, 2025 deadline, Smith said.
Before breaking ground, the tribe's casino plans must be approved by the Norfolk Architectural Review Board and then by the city's Planning Commission and City Council. Once the casino is built, the Virginia Lottery Commission will test its operational compliance before giving it the green light to welcome the public.
The city's Architectural Review Board will review the latest HeadWaters plans at its Jan. 8 meeting.
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Source: www.casino.org
