Norfolk Casino Finally Cleared to Move Forward

The board wants more specific details about the building concepts and the types of materials to be used. Yesterday, the Pamunkey Tribe and its new partner, Boyd Gaming, announced the groundbreaking date for the Norfolk casino will be Wednesday, October 30 at 11 AM. The location for the event will be the future casino site next to Harbor Park at 200 Park Avenue. The group released renderings of a soaring tower alongside Harbor Park — a planned $700 million casino. “Right now, we’re looking for them to adhere to the development agreement,” Alexander said.

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Boyd and the tribe subsequently presented a resort with 200 rooms and a casino floor with 1,500 slot machines, 50 live dealer table games, and a sportsbook. A temporary 7,200-square-foot pavilion tent casino will operate in the parking lot while construction occurs closer to the river where the permanent structure will stand. The Norfolk casino (final name is pending) will be a $750 million casino, hotel, and entertainment destination built on the Elizabeth River adjacent to Harbor Ballpark in Norfolk, Virginia. A transitional casino in a tent-like structure will open before the Nov. 2025 mandatory deadline to secure the gaming license. A permanent casino with 1,500 slot machines, 50 table games, 8 restaurants, a 200-room hotel, and event center will open in September 2027. The HeadWaters Resort & Casino name will no longer be used, and Boyd is working on a new name and brand for the casino.

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Plans for a marina along the Elizabeth River were scrapped to streamline costs, but Norfolk leaders, including Mayor Kenneth Alexander, have highlighted the project’s potential to become a key economic and cultural hub for the region. The final site plans must be reviewed and ultimately approved by City Council before Norfolk will sell the necessary land for the project, which is adjacent to Harbor Park and the Elizabeth River. The plans are slated to first be reviewed at a Jan. 8 Architectural Review Board hearing. The National Indian Gaming Commission would oversee the casino’s gaming operations.

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”For those worried about Boyd honoring the commitment to the city, we’ve not only honored it but we’re exceeding it from prior developers. This will be a $750 million casino resort,” Smith stated. After years of anticipation, construction has officially begun on a new casino and resort project in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, led by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe in partnership with Boyd Gaming. The ceremonial groundbreaking, held outside Harbor Park, marked a major milestone in a venture that has faced numerous delays and revisions since its initial announcement in 2020. Newly obtained letters sent by Norfolk officials to the casino applicants detail what the city said about the two-phase construction approach the developer publicly announced in June.

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Until these things are settled, a timeline for construction can not be announced. In March 2018, two years after the Pamunkey Indians were recognized by the federal government, the tribe announced plans to build a casino with hotel and spa somewhere in Eastern Virginia. The first agreement was an option for the Pamunkey Tribe to buy 13.4 acres of city property next to Harbor Park for $750,000 per acre ($10+ million total). The option is subject to the state approval of a casino license for the site. The option expires after three years but can be extended twice for one year. Construction is expected to begin this summer on the HeadWaters Resort & Casino in Norfolk, Virginia.

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Following the ceremony, CEO of Boyd Gaming Keith Smith announced an increased investment of $750 million for the project. An investment group is currently in negotiations with the tribe to help develop the project. If the Pamunkey Indian Tribe does not pursue a federally-approved tribal casino, the voter process would be bypassed. However, the federal process is lengthy and the timeframe is similar.

City Escape

When the casino opens, HeadWaters will have a two-year deadline to complete construction of its hotel and improve the amenities along the riverfront. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe has submitted a development certificate application to Norfolk’s Architectural Review Board with new construction plans for the HeadWaters Resort and Casino. Construction is expected to start in late 2023 pending approvals by the Architectural Review Board, the Planning Commission and the City Council.

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Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander was excited about the City Council’s vote. He said ”I am excited to recognize this significant milestone in our journey to bring a world-class casino and hotel resort to the Harbor Park Entertainment District.” The Norfolk Casino project plans will next be reviewed for approval by the Norfolk City Planning Commission.

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The mailing address matches the same as a video game operator with a state approved license, named B&B Amusement of Illinois. The second agreement was a development agreement to regulate the construction and use of the property in compliance with state and local building codes. The ”All In Norfolk” campaign to gather voter support for the HeadWaters Resort & Casino is officially underway. The Norfolk casino requires voter approval in the Nov. 3, 2020 election to authorize construction planned for a 13.4-acre site east of the Harbor Park baseball stadium.

• After a long process to find the perfect spot for this transformational project, the City and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe identified the banks of the Elizabeth River in the heart of Norfolk.
• The Pamunkey reservation is located on ancestral land along the Pamunkey River.
• Attendees will include Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander, Pamunkey Chief Robert Gray, and Boyd Gaming CEO Keith Smith.
• W.M. Jordan is a regional company from Newport News and Suffolk is a national company recognized for premier hotels.
• The Norfolk Architectural Review Board is expected to vote on the plans on July 27.
• The Norfolk casino referendum was approved by voters in Nov. 2020 with a five-year deadline for completion.
• Norfolk’s Architectural Review Board heard plans for the first of two phases to build the HeadWaters Resort and Casino on Monday evening.
• The permanent casino is targeted to open in Aug. 2027 and will include 1,500 slot machines, 50 table games, eight restaurants, and a five-story hotel with 200 rooms.

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NORFOLK, Va. — A years-long delay in the City of Norfolk appears to be ending, as casino operators and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe broke ground on the long-awaited Norfolk casino and resort project Wednesday morning. The community that is selected for the proposed casino would enter into an agreement that would allow for sharing the casino revenues. When the final decision is made about the casino location, the Pamunkeys will petition the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs to take that land into federal trust as part of their reservation land. If the casino is approved under the U,S, Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, The Tribe will pay 4% of gambling revenues to the City of Norfolk.

One of the purposed for the commission is to ensure that the games are ran fairly. It also monitors the agreements made between the tribe and the casino management company. Located off of Interstate 64 and the Bottoms Bridge-Quinton exit, the property makes up four parcels. An LLC bought the land for $3.05 million according to tax records from the county.

• If the Pamunkey Indian Tribe does not pursue a federally-approved tribal casino, the voter process would be bypassed.
• The second phase would consist of a hotel, pool, spa, entertainment venue and other resort amenities.
• This location on the waterfront is the right spot at the right time for this exciting project.
• Instead, the casino development team will meet privately with city officials today.
• When the casino opens, HeadWaters will have a two-year deadline to complete construction of its hotel and improve the amenities along the riverfront.

The General Assembly is woking on a bill to authorize and regulate casino gambling. It will require an election referendum on the November ballot for Norfolk residents to agree or reject the Pamunkey casino. The Norfolk City Council passed a resolution asking the General Assembly to proceed with legislation that would lead to state-licensing of the Pamunkey casino as an alternative to the lengthy federal Indian gaming process. ”These two companies bring the creativity, norfolk casino industry expertise, experience and drive to ensure that this facility will exceed the highest expectations set by the Tribe and the City of Norfolk for this project.” The tribe requires the two construction companies, Jordan and Suffolk, to hire a large percentage of local and Black-owned subcontractors and suppliers as a condition of their contracts. Two possible locations inside the baseball park are under consideration, and each would meet the criteria.

• Specifics on tables and slot machines are still unclear, but there will be beverage and food options there for the time that it’s open before the full casino is built.
• ”These two companies bring the creativity, industry expertise, experience and drive to ensure that this facility will exceed the highest expectations set by the Tribe and the City of Norfolk for this project.”
• Further details about gaming and amenities of the temporary gaming facility have not been released to the public as of this date.
• Newly obtained letters sent by Norfolk officials to the casino applicants detail what the city said about the two-phase construction approach the developer publicly announced in June.
• Casino operator Boyd Gaming and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe announced the casino’s official groundbreaking will be on Wednesday, October 30.
• Plans for a marina along the Elizabeth River were scrapped to streamline costs, but Norfolk leaders, including Mayor Kenneth Alexander, have highlighted the project’s potential to become a key economic and cultural hub for the region.
• Ralph Northam (D) in 2020 passed legislation allowing five cities — Richmond, Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth, and Norfolk — to ask their residents to endorse a casino undertaking through a local ballot referendum.

The project will build a 90,000 square-foot casino and peripheral structure that will include a 45,000 square-foot gaming floor, restaurants, sports bar and entertainment venue. The developers of the HeadWaters Resort & Casino project met again with the Norfolk Architectural Review Board last week to review the final building plans for the casino hotel project. And once again the developers for the Pamunkey Indian Tribe requested a delay of the review to allow additional time to complete design changes requested by the board. As delay after delay continues with the Headwaters Resort and Casino project, is it finally time for Norfolk city officials to move on to a new casino developer? It has been over three years since the Pamunkey Indian Tribe signed a development agreement with the City of Norfolk to build a $500M casino and hotel next to Harbor Park, and nothing has happened. Norfolk’s Planning Commission has approved the Norfolk casino development plan as proposed by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and its new partner, Boyd Gaming.

But casino representatives said the plan is for at least some casino gaming operations to begin in 2025 while construction of other parts of the development, including the hotel and spa, is ongoing. The first phase of the new construction plan will build a 90,000 square-foot casino on the existing five-acre parking lot next to Norfolk’s Harbor Park. The casino will include a 45,000 square-foot gaming floor with 3,000 slot machines, 150 table games, restaurants, and a 4,500 square-foot sports bar and entertainment venue.

Specifics on tables and slot machines are still unclear, but there will be beverage and food options there for the time that it’s open before the full casino is built. Dependent on current state laws, the casino could be allowed to operate slot machines and table games. However, the choice of games must be approved by the commission and the negotiated on for the gaming compact.

• The Norfolk Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit last week for a temporary casino to operate at Harbor Park during the two-year construction of the HeadWaters Resort & Casino.
• “It won’t be in the next week or two, but next couple of months,” Smith said. ”That’s as close as we can give you.
• Following the ceremony, CEO of Boyd Gaming Keith Smith announced an increased investment of $750 million for the project.
• Virginia’s casinos reported $56.56 million in September revenue, according to the Virginia Lottery.
• The total size would be 45,000 square feet and include a casino, a restaurant and a bar.

NEWSLETTER

This is a 50% increase in investment over the previous commitment of $500 million. Boyd Gaming recently joined the Pamunkey Tribe as a new partner in the Norfolk casino project and owns an 80% share. The first phase is technically a temporary casino, but architects estimate that 67% of the structure will be included in the permanent design, which will be completed with phase two. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe and its casino development team have resubmitted plans for the HeadWaters Resort and Casino project that show a more compact footprint without a marina and envision the casino opening before the rest of the facility. Norfolk City Council approved a development certificate for the casino project earlier this month, their last required vote needed before construction could begin. The announcement comes a week after Norfolk city council members approved the casino’s design in a 7-1 vote, allowing construction to move forward.

The total size would be 45,000 square feet and include a casino, a restaurant and a bar. The original plan by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe to build the HeadWaters Resort & Casino on the Elizabeth River next to Harbor Park was approved by Norfolk voters in 2020. Since then, there has been little progress towards city approval for construction. If a casino license is not approved by the deadline date of Nov. 5, 2025, the Norfolk casino project will return to the people for a new vote. The casino project is facing a November 2025 deadline established by the 2020 ballot referendum that requires the Norfolk casino to be licensed and operational before that date.

A temporary casino is expected to open in 2022 and operate to the end of the construction period. Transitional CasinoThe city has opposed building a temporary casino before building a permanent None. The latest plan calls for a temporary casino to open within a year to meet the Nov. 5, 2025 deadline to get a casino license. Construction of the permanent casino will follow in a second phase which is targeted for completion in Sept. 2027. The original Norfolk casino project never gained approval for construction.

On Tuesday the voters in Norfolk approved a plan by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe to build a $500M resort & casino on the Elizabeth River waterfront near Harbor Park. The project includes a casino, an entertainment venue, restaurants, and a 200-room hotel with spa and pool. A formal groundbreaking for the HeadWaters Resort & Casino is expected sometime this summer city officials.

Further details about the event were not included in the press release. ”We feel very comfortable and we’re just excited to be able to bring the project to fruition for the city and the Commonwealth and the Tribe.” PERMANENT CASINO FEATURESOpening date is Sept. 2027.The following features are the most recent disclosures about the permanent facility. Virginia’s casinos reported $56.56 million in September revenue, according to the Virginia Lottery. Groundbreaking for Norfolk’s forthcoming casino is set to take place Oct. 30, according to a news release Tuesday.

Ownership ChangeThe plan would replace the original development partner of the Pamunkey Tribe, Golden Eagle Consulting II, LLC., with a new partner, Boyd Gaming Corp. Boyd is a multi-billion casino developer and operator headquartered near Las Vegas. The Pamunkey Tribe would retain 20% ownership in the new partnership.

Smith said the decision to shrink the footprint of the project was made because of ongoing discussions between HeadWaters and city staff about impacts of the planned seawall project being built along the downtown waterfront by the U.S. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe and Boyd Gaming, the developers of the proposed casino, say the groundbreaking ceremony will take place near Harbor Park. NORFOLK, Va. — After years of planning, Norfolk casino project leaders say they will officially break ground on October 30.

The Norfolk casino referendum was approved by voters in Nov. 2020 with a five-year deadline for completion. If HeadWaters Resort & Casino does not open by November 2025, another voter referendum is required. To meet the deadline, construction of the HeadWaters Casino must start this Spring. Last April, the long-delayed Norfolk casino project prompted some city officials to question whether it is time to move on with a new casino developer. The chief’s comments came after Tuesday night’s vote by the Norfolk City Council to approve a revised casino plan that added Boyd Gaming Corp. as a partner in the tribe’s casino project.

This action follows the approval by the Norfolk Architectural Review Board earlier this week. The Norfolk casino plan will now return to the City Council for a vote on final approval. Boyd replaces former partner Jon Yarbrough, who formed a limited liability company, Golden Eagle Consulting II, with the tribe’s gaming authority in 2020. Yarbrough is no longer affiliated with the casino, having sold his interest in the project to Boyd Gaming, which is now majority owner of Golden Eagle Consulting II. The tribe and Yarbrough first encountered issues when they planned to open a temporary casino, as permitted by the 2020 law, inside Harbor Park while construction on the permanent resort got underway at the adjacent parking lot. After it was determined that a temporary casino could only operate at the same mailing address as the permanent resort, and efforts to change the address of the ballpark caused legal issues, the developers went back to the drawing board.