Pamunkey Indian Tribe On line casino Mission in Norfolk Progresses with Preliminary Web site Plan Submission
The Pamunkey Indian Tribe in Virginia maintains its “unwavering dedication” to constructing a first-class on line casino in Norfolk on the banks of the Elizabeth River. However the federally acknowledged Native American group says it would want extra time earlier than ponying up the $10 million to the Metropolis of Norfolk to amass the 13 acres of vacant land the place it plans to construct the gaming resort.
The Pamunkey Indian Tribe says it stays steadfast in its dedication to deliver Norfolk a premier on line casino resort. The tribe is working with billionaire Jon Yarbrough to deliver the on line casino imaginative and prescient to actuality. (Picture: Metropolis of Norfolk)
Norfolk metropolis officers chosen the Pamunkey Indian Tribe as its most well-liked on line casino developer in 2020.
Regardless of being a small Indian neighborhood with lower than 100 members dwelling on its sovereign land close to West Level alongside the Pamunkey River and the tribe missing gaming expertise, town went with the Pamunkeys for its on line casino alternative.
The Pamunkeys glad monetary well being considerations by partnering with billionaire Jon Yarbrough, who made his fortune manufacturing video games tailor-made to the tribal gaming trade. With the monetary backing of Yarbrough’s corporations, Golden Eagle Consulting and Yarbrough Capital, the tribe pitched Norfolk voters a $500 million on line casino. The native citizens signed off on the plan through the November 2020 election with almost 68% assist.
Land Buy Deadline Prolonged
Earlier than the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and Yarbrough pitched Norfolk voters their on line casino plan referred to as HeadWaters Resort & On line casino, the builders negotiated with town authorities to buy the vacant parking tons adjoining to the Harbor Park baseball stadium for $10 million. Over three years, the tribe and billionaire nonetheless haven’t acquired the acreage.
The builders initially deliberate to open a short lived on line casino inside Harbor Park. It was later decided that Virginia’s 2020 gaming legislation allowed non permanent casinos to function solely on the identical handle the place the everlasting on line casino will function.
The tribe and Yarbrough then pitched a short lived on line casino on the 13 acres whereas development of the everlasting on line casino would start. That plan was later scrapped, with a brand new proposal of constructing HeadWaters in two growth phases, with a on line casino first and the lodge and resort later.
Norfolk officers balked at that concept and determined to carry the tribe and Yarbrough to the unique plan of constructing all the complicated without delay. That brings us to immediately, with the tribe confirming by a press launch that, in September, it exercised its ultimate possibility to increase the deadline to buy the 13 acres for $10 million to January 2025.
Web site Plan Submitted
Jay Smith, spokesperson for the HeadWaters challenge, advised On line casino.org on Wednesday that progress is being made on bringing the Norfolk on line casino to actuality. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe, Smith mentioned, submitted its preliminary website plan to the Metropolis of Norfolk on October 20. The submission adopted “months of productive conferences” between metropolis and on line casino officers.
Our crew has been assembly routinely with metropolis workers to evaluation the challenge plans and focus on the event timeline,” added Robert Grey, Pamunkey chief. “We wish to get this challenge up and operating as quickly as potential to start out producing income for our Tribe, for the opposite acknowledged Virginia tribes that may profit from this challenge, and for the Metropolis of Norfolk, its residents, and the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
Smith defined that the preliminary website submission strikes the challenge nearer to ultimate approval and the land acquisition.
“The Tribe plans to file an software for ultimate website plan approval and an software for a Growth Certificates previous to Dec. 11, 2023, which can allow the functions to be thought of by the Norfolk Architectural Assessment Board in January 2024 and thought of by the Planning Fee in late January 2024, adopted by the Metropolis Council listening to the functions in February 2024,” Smith detailed.
