NORFOLK, Va. — There is another potential delay for the HeadWaters Resort & Casino project in the City of Norfolk.
According to a casino spokesperson, the City of Norfolk asked casino developers to meet with them on Tuesday -- including with the Pamunkey Indian Tribe -- instead of presenting to the city’s Architecture Review Board on Monday.
From Jay Smith, with Capital Results and a spokesperson for the project:
"Upon the recommendation of the City of Norfolk, HeadWaters Resort & Casino’s development team will not present its application for a Development Certificate to begin construction on the initial phase of its planned $500 million resort and casino project at the ARB meeting today. Instead, the City has asked to meet with the Pamunkey Tribe and its development team tomorrow, July 25th, which the Tribe has agreed to do."
A design review agenda item for Monday's ARB meeting is crossed out, reading instead "indefinitely deferred by applicant."
This comes weeks after developers submitted updated site plans and new renderings revealing an updated buildout of a full casino project, now intended to be built in two phases, with an "initial" phase offering casino gaming space. Developers previously tried building a temporary casino structure adjacent to Harbor Park on Park Avenue, which came after attempts to build the temporary facility inside Harbor Park itself.
Those updated site plans were first officially presented to the city's ARB several weeks ago.
Smith noted that moving through this ARB meeting could have put developers before the city's planning commission as soon as this week. Instead, both developers and the Pamunkey Tribe will meet with the city on Tuesday. They add there are two recent “contradicting” letters that give different directions regarding the casino’s construction and land acquisition.
"This continuance of the ARB meeting comes after the receipt by the Tribe of a letter from the City dated July 14th which contradicted the prior direction given to the Tribe and its development team in a March 1, 2023 letter from the City. After receiving the July 14th letter, the Tribe responded with a letter noting the conflicts in the City’s approach and requested a meeting to get clarity from the City on its proposed path to acquire the land and begin construction on the resort as soon as possible."
13News now requested, but has yet to receive, copies of the two letters mentioned.
At this moment, it’s not clear what casino leadership means when they say “the City of Norfolk," regarding who requested the meeting as well as who might be present at that time.