Virginia: New plan for HeadWaters Resort & Casino project to be reviewed by Norfolk City Council

The Norfolk City Council is set to review newly presented plans for the HeadWaters Resort & Casino, a project to be developed by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and Tennessee billionaire Jon Yarbrough. The developers are legally required to open a permanent casino resort by November 2025, five years after Norfolk voters approved the initiative.

Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander stated that, despite not having seen the new plans yet, the city will only approve those aligned with the 2020 referendum and the original agreement, emphasizing that the city council expects to approve the construction as one detailed package, without the need for multiple approvals from councils.

“I’ve been part of the conversation that they will build the entire project and what has been submitted in the past was unacceptable, suggesting a building (of) the casino and the garage and not having the hotel, spa resort included in the same proposal," Alexander said.

Kenny Alexander 

The latest proposal will be reviewed by the Norfolk Architectural Review Board on January 8 before final approval by the City Council. To meet the November 2025 deadline, construction must begin in spring 2024, said Jay Smith, spokesman for HeadWaters Resort & Casino. 

Unlike the original plan to build the $500 million casino and resort in two phases with a gap between each phase, the new plan suggests continuous construction, with the casino opening while the hotel, spa, and other facilities are still under development. The casino and resort will also occupy a smaller area, no longer situated on the Elizabeth River waterfront.

The project is expected to create about 2,000 construction jobs and 2,480 full-time jobs when fully operational. The HeadWaters Resort and Casino project calls for 800 to 1,000 slot machines and 20 to 25 table games, with the expectation of doubling these numbers when the venture is completed.

At the same time the resort would be constructed, the city is making plans with the Army Corps of Engineers to build a $2.6 billion seawall project. Because of the seawall, the resort would be on a smaller footprint, which necessitated a change in design. Instead of buying 13 or 14 acres to build the property, the developer could — with city council approval — purchase fewer acres for the development and it would not be on the waterfront, reports Virginia Business.

The HeadWaters project has undergone several iterations since the referendum approval in November 2020. At that time, developers pitched a $500-plus million resort casino with a 300-room hotel, restaurants, an entertainment venue, a rooftop pool, thousands of slot machines and as many as 150 table games.

The latest plans show a structure with 963,000 square feet with a parking deck for 1,200 spaces. 45,000 square feet will be earmarked for the main floor of the casino (eventually expanded to 65,000 square feet) and restaurants, which include a 180-seat sports bar; and a hotel overlooking the Elizabeth River, a ballroom, meeting rooms, and a spa.

After receiving authorization for the plan and a development certificate, the team would be able to acquire land from the city to start construction; although it would also need a license from the Virginia Lottery Board to operate the casino.

 “This is a fluid project with many moving parts and … it’s impossible to give the completion date of the entire project,” said Smith to Virginia Business. “But rest assured, we are working as fast as we can to get the entire project open."

While Norfolk prepares to add HeadWaters to its urban landscape, three casinos approved by Virginia voters in 2020 have already opened in Danville, Bristol, and Portsmouth.