Norfolk Commission Recommends Casino for Final Approval from City Council

The long-awaited Norfolk, Virginia casino is finally on the cusp of becoming a reality.

Norfolk’s Planning Commission greenlighted the proposed project and recommended the City Council give final approval, which could come during a meeting in October. The Commission voted 6-to-1 in favor of the proposal.

The project will be led by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and casino company Boyd Gaming. Their partnership was already certified by Norfolk officials earlier this month.

At the final stages

Local officials did everything but rush this project. Voters granted The Pamunkey Tribe approval for a casino during the November 2020 election, though development has still yet to begin on the facility.

“[The casino is] going to be an icon on the waterfront—it’s going to be a symbol on the intercoastal waterway,” said Gregory Rutledge, an Architectural Review Board member, to 10 On Your Side. “These buildings [have] got to be right, it’s got to look right, it’s got to stand up for the test of time, so these details matter.”

The commission’s approval still comes with stipulations. Developers must provide updates on foot traffic, the seawall, new renderings, materials used during the build phase, and more.

The Cape Henry Audubon Society also said that the design showcased on Monday could have harmful effects on birds. 

“We have several specific details that we want them to come back and show us how they’re developing the exterior design of the building, but also come back and what we call a design development phase of the project,” said Rutledge. “Not quite 100% design, but it’s further along than what we saw today.”

Concerns and plans

The casino project has taken much longer than expected to get off the ground. Boyd Gaming was approved as the Pamunkey Tribe’s partner and chief financial sponsor to expedite the process after progress stagnated with billionaire Jon Yarbrough.

Although the casino now has more momentum than ever before, there are still questions.

Planning Commission Chairman Kevin Murphy was the only member to vote “No” on the project. He questioned why the approved proposal allowed for indoor smoking and the sale of tobacco products since indoor smoking is banned in nearly every Norfolk place of business.

Murphy also raised concerns about the impacts on local traffic, while Commissioner Kim Sudderth said that she wasn’t comfortable with the lack of attention paid to security around the casino.

The timeline provided to officials said that the casino will open in a temporary facility next to Harbor Park in late 2025 and that development on the permanent location will be finished by September 2027.