The Pamunkey Indian Tribe submitted a new slate of casino designs to Norfolk’s Architectural Review Board - the first step in getting city approval to build the long-awaited Headwaters Resort and Casino.
The project has stalled as other casinos moved ahead, and now the city and tribe face a deadline of about 15 months to get a casino up and running or face the prospect of another voter referendum.
The new designs include stylized curves inspired by old-school shipbuilding and incorporate gunmetal gray and dark teal taken from luxury yachts, but otherwise largely resembles the plans submitted and suddenly withdrawn from the ARB this past January without explanation.
The casino still features a 12-story glass hotel with rooftop space, a 425,000-square-foot parking garage and sprawling casino floor on the lot next to Harbor Park.
What’s not included in the new ARB submission: Any explanation of continuing delays on casino construction or discussion of what’s happening behind the scenes over the last year since Norfolk’s City Council reportedly considered dropping the Pamunkey Tribe for another developer amid frustrations with the lack of progress.
Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander has said repeatedly that the city won’t settle for less than what voters approved in 2020 and won’t allow a two-phase project, which was the impetus for the tribe withdrawing previous plans in July 2023.
While the city and tribe have gone back and forth, other casinos have lapped the Norfolk project, which was the first such project announced in the state in 2018.
The Rivers Casino in neighboring Portsmouth opened its doors in 2023, and two more in western Virginia are slated to open before the end of this year.
