NORFOLK, Va. — The Mermaid City’s long awaited and long anticipated waterfront casino took another step toward finally breaking ground Tuesday night, moving one step closer to ending the project’s years long delay.
Norfolk City Council approved a development certificate for the casino project, a joint venture between the original developers of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and the recently added operator Boyd Gaming.
It represents the last required vote by city council needed before developers can begin construction.
Boyd Gaming and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe said in a joint statement:
“We are excited to receive the City’s approval of our plans for a best-in-class casino resort on the Norfolk waterfront. We appreciate the support and efforts of the Mayor, the City Council and city staff. We look forward to creating an entertainment experience this entire community can take pride in.”
The project, which was previously given the stamp of approval by both City Council and the city's planning commission in late September, marks at least the third iteration for the casino since voters approved a casino gaming referendum in 2020. Since then, there have been several versions of the project both for full builds as well as temporary casino concepts.
Amidst Boyd Gaming's addition to the project, an American gaming and hospitality company based in Nevada, the long-stalled project slated next to Harbor Park has been able to move forward with relative momentum in recent weeks.
A groundbreaking timeline is still set for sometime before the end of the calendar year. A spokesperson on behalf of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe confirmed there are initial plans for a temporary casino to be built near the site until the full casino is entirely built, which is allowed by the Virginia General Assembly.
Between the current build-out and the first one introduced in June 2022, even dating back to the earliest renderings of the project in 2020, there are several differences over the last four years. The latest proposal includes less than 10,000 square feet of conference room space, whereas the 2022 version had more than 30,000 square feet. A total of 300 hotel rooms, proposed in 2022, now sits at 200.
Councilwoman Andria McClellan, the lone dissenting vote, questioned the casino’s smoking allowance after city leaders had requested whether the casino could be a non-smoking facility.
“I really wish we were in a position, legally I know we can’t require it," councilwoman McClellan said.
“The data in the industry is that it costs both the locality and casino operator a lot of money," city attorney Bernard Pishko said. "Because of the sum of money involved, the developer has not been agreeable to a prohibition."
Pishko added the inclusion of an air filtration system that will prevent the smell of tobacco smoke from being prevalent in the casino building.
The development certificate does not allow for smoking on the casino's premises unless it follows in accordance with the Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act.