The developers behind the long-stalled Norfolk casino project that city voters authorized in November 2020 have yet another blueprint.
For its casino venture, the City of Norfolk partnered with the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, a small Native American community located about 65 miles north of the Hampton Roads city in King William, and billionaire gaming industry veteran Jon Yarbrough. The tribe and Yarbrough, through his Golden Eagle Consulting, LLC, this week unveiled another design plan for the undertaking that’s to cost around a half-billion dollars.
The latest scope features a casino resort and hotel structure that seeks to pay homage to the city’s rich maritime history by featuring an exterior designed in the style and color schematics of a sleek luxury yacht. Designed by architectural firms HKS and SWA Group, the destination would be “carvel built,” a method of boat building that results in an aerodynamic, smooth exterior surface.
The complex, which is to be built adjacent to the city’s Harbor Park Minor League Baseball Stadium, home of the Norfolk Tides, on roughly 13.5 acres of city-owned land, would include a casino, hotel, ballroom, spa and fitness center, and parking garage.
City Officials Welcome Plan
The Norfolk government has become increasingly frustrated with the Pamunkey Tribe and Yarbrough for the continuous delays in breaking ground.
The developers have blamed the setbacks on a difficult construction site and the state and city’s plan to embark on a $2.6 billion infrastructure project that includes building a 17-foot-high floodwall along the Elizabeth River. The tribe and Yarbrough originally intended to include a marina with the resort casino, but with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers readying to build the floodwall, the resort plan had to go back to the drawing board.
Another setback was the tribe’s idea to construct the resort in phases, with opening the casino first. That idea was pushed back on by city officials who demanded that the entire resort come at the same time.
The developers had also tried to open a temporary casino inside Harbor Park before it was clarified that the state gaming law only allows for temporary casinos to operate at the same mailing address as the permanent casino.
Though it’s been nearly four years since Norfolk voters signed off on a casino development led by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and no dirt has yet been moved, City of Norfolk Communications Director Kelly Straub said the local government is “encouraged” by the latest outline.
We are very encouraged by the most recent application for a development certificate which is now proceeding through the review process,” said Straub. “The City of Norfolk remains committed to fostering a vibrant and thriving community, and the resort casino is poised to be a cornerstone of this vision.”
Before the casino can begin construction, the city’s Architectural Review Board (ARB) must first sign off on its blueprint.
HeadWaters Name Sunk
Previous plans for the Norfolk casino from the tribe and Yarbrough used the identity HeadWaters Resort & Casino. But after facing much headwind, the development group has seemingly ditched that name.
Nowhere in the casino’s ARB presentation was HeadWaters mentioned. Instead, the project was referred to simply as the Norfolk Casino.
Norfolk Casino will reimagine the waterfront inspired by its own rich maritime history,” the presentation’s “Design Narrative” read. “The graceful curves of the shipping channels and railroad lines that once traversed the site have been translated into various components of the project.”
“These influences pay homage to the original use of the bustling marine terminal in hope to aid in the careful endeavor to bring new life to the Harbor Park area once again,” the statement added.
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