After the city rents out the stadium for construction staging, the Norfolk Casino is moving forward.

After the city rents out the stadium for construction staging, the Norfolk Casino is moving forward.

The long-delayed project to build a casino in Norfolk is now moving forward. Developers and local officials worked out a deal so that the parking lot at the city’s Harbor Park minor league baseball stadium could be used while the gaming resort was being built.

The Pamunkey Indian Tribe, one of Virginia’s seven federally recognized tribes, is collaborating with tribal gaming veteran and millionaire Jon Yarbrough to create a $500 million Elizabeth River casino complex. In the two years since Norfolk voters authorized HeadWaters Resort & Casino, little has happened.

HeadWaters’ chances of building soon have decreased. Norfolk City Council approved the temporary casino and permanent resort in Harbor Park’s parking lots. The lease deal solves a major dilemma for the tribe and Yarbrough: where to store project building equipment and supplies.

Location Concerns Were Dealt With

Where permanent casinos will be developed, temporary casinos must be constructed.

Legal restrictions prevented the HeadWaters developers from building a temporary casino on 13.5 acres of undeveloped ground near Harbor Park between the Elizabeth River and Park Avenue.

Before the pandemic, HeadWaters planned to open its temporary casino at Harbor Park, a restaurant and gym. Legal issues regarding the baseball park’s site at 150 Park Avenue and HeadWaters’ at 200 Park Avenue forced the developers to cancel those plans.

Since then, the tribe and Yarbrough have built a temporary casino near Park Avenue and Interstate 264. HeadWaters will buy 13.5 acres of primarily asphalt baseball park parking lots from the city. HeadWaters will do this after the Virginia Lottery Board approves its comprehensive resort plan.

The Norfolk City Council had to leased Harbor Park parking lots to the casino builders. The project relies on the temporary gaming space.

Few Short-Term Details

HeadWaters hasn’t said much about what will be in its temporary casino. Jay Smith, a spokesman for the project, recently told Casino.org that both slot machines and table games will be available. Getting the city’s OK for the temporary space, on the other hand, is a big deal.

In July, the City Council told us what to do, and the tribe promised to give us a site plan for the temporary casino. “Right now, the tribe is working hard with the city on the permanent site plan and land transfer, which will let us start building,” Smith said.

Smith said that the tribe is excited and ready to start building.