Norfolk On line casino Making Little Progress, Metropolis Supervisor Explains Delay
Norfolk is one among 5 cities in Virginia allowed to authorize a industrial on line casino improvement. However greater than two years after residents within the Hampton Roads locale voted in favor of a $500 million on line casino pitch from the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and tribal gaming billionaire Jon Yarbrough, little work has been accomplished on the mission web site.
A imprecise rendering of HeadWaters Resort & On line casino in Norfolk, Va. The Virginia on line casino improvement has made little progress on the $500 million mission greater than two years after it was permitted. (Picture: Norfolk Metropolis Council)
The tribe and Yarbrough partnered on a improvement referred to as HeadWaters Resort & On line casino. The waterfront resort property on the Elizabeth River obtained 65% of the practically 89K votes forged on the native referendum query requested in the course of the November 2020 election.
Virginia’s gaming legislation permits permitted on line casino initiatives to open a brief on line casino house amid the development of the everlasting resort. However in Norfolk, no provisional gaming venue has even begun to be constructed, nor has any work began on the everlasting HeadWaters.
Momentary On line casino Plan Triggered Setbacks
Talking with WAVY-TV this week, Norfolk Metropolis Supervisor Chip Filer defined what’s most chargeable for the Norfolk on line casino missteps.
Whereas Laborious Rock Bristol opened a brief on line casino inside the previous Bristol Mall in July, and Rivers On line casino Portsmouth plans to open its everlasting on line casino in just a little greater than two weeks on January 15, the longer term dwelling of HeadWaters stays a barren parking zone.
HeadWaters has been permitted to be constructed on 13 acres of land between the Harbor Park minor league baseball stadium and the Norfolk Southern Railroad line on the banks of the Elizabeth.
I believe all of us want this was a scenario the place we had an enormous open subject and will begin constructing our on line casino,” Filer stated. “[But the] web site is fairly difficult.”
HeadWaters officers initially deliberate to open a brief on line casino inside Harbor Park in what was previously a restaurant and health club. However after authorized considerations had been raised, particularly that Virginia’s 2020 industrial gaming invoice solely permits the creation of an interim on line casino on the identical bodily tackle as the place the everlasting on line casino will function, the builders scrapped these plans.
The tribe later introduced {that a} short-term on line casino can be constructed on the parking zone the place HeadWaters will someday stand. The provisional gaming construction will probably be positioned at 200 Park Avenue — the identical tackle as the longer term on line casino. Harbor Park is positioned at 150 Park Ave.
The situation change, Filer defined, precipitated building setbacks, because the builders wanted to reconfigure how they’d construct the everlasting construction on the identical grounds as the place the interim on line casino is to be erected.
“[It’s] created a number of issues, from the place the laydown will go, to the way you’ll construct the short-term on line casino and begin building of the everlasting on line casino on the identical time,” Filer added.
$100K Yearly Upkeep Price
Previous to the 2020 referendum, the Norfolk Metropolis Council deemed the Pamunkey-Yarbrough partnership as its most popular on line casino developer. The contract is legitimate for 5 years. The HeadWaters workforce should pay town $100K per yr to take care of the on line casino improvement rights till the resort is constructed.
The tribe can be nonetheless ready on a state-issued gaming license. That can solely come as soon as HeadWaters’ short-term on line casino is constructed. Plans for the venue had been lately submitted to town. Planning for the everlasting on line casino resort stays ongoing.
