No more ‘Headwaters’ name for proposed Norfolk resort & casino? Development team says ‘discussions are ongoing’

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — In a meeting with the Architectural Review Board Monday, members of the development team looking to bring a casino to Norfolk revealed “Headwaters Resort & Casino” may no longer be the name of the proposed entertainment complex.

The admission came near the end of the roughly hour-long discussion, in which architects hired by the Pamunkey Indian Nation, the city’s primary partner in the endeavor, went over their latest architectural renderings with board members.

This is the third set of renderings developers submitted to the group, charged with making sure construction is architecturally appropriate in parts of the city. However, it is the first set that does not include Headwaters Resort & Casino anywhere.

For the first time since 2021, the Tribe’s spokesperson, Jay Smith, also didn’t include the name or logo in the statement released following the conclusion of the meeting.

Smith would not address why the name has been dropped.

When ARB member Greg Rutledge asked the development team if the name was dropped, a member responded saying “it may be” and that the tribe was still in discussions about the name.

The vanishing act of the long-branded name is just one of the differences pointed out during the meeting.

Daron Andrus, an architect for HKS architectural firm, revealed the hotel portion of the property would now be only 200 rooms, instead of the 300 advertised the last few years.

The change was made due to costs and information from a market study, according to Andrus.

The orientation and design of the hotel also changed on the 6.5 acre property, and not for the better according to some members.

“The biggest problem I have with the design is that the architecture of the amenity deck doesn’t fit the architecture of the rest of the building,” Greg Rutledge, said. “It’s bulky, it’s bland.”

There was also concern with the parking garage and plans that it will not be open to Harbor Park fans.

The project can’t move forward before it receives a vote in the ARB. That could come as soon as the first week of September.

The proposal to build a resort casino between Harbor Park and the Norfolk Amtrak station was first revealed in December 2018.

The tribe, in partnership with Tennessee billionaire Jon Yarbrough, said it would make a $500 million investment with 65,000 square feet of gaming floor, a variety of restaurants that include a steak and seafood restaurant, a hotel with a raised amenity deck with a pool, spa and fitness center, a ballroom, meeting spaces and parking garage.

However, frustration has grown after years of renderings have come and gone. Norfolk voters approved the idea of casino gaming via a November 2020 referendum.

State law said they would have five years from that date to begin taking bets.

City leadership has tried to highlight challenges facing the project as reason for delays.

Former Norfolk City Manager Chip Filer told WAVY in an update in December 2022 that plans for a seawall downtow n was a major hurdle.

Norfolk stood firm that they wouldn’t transfer the property to the tribe until there was a site plan for the permanent facility, and assurances that the tribe has the financial capacity for the project.

A temporary facility planned for Harbor Park never came to be after questions over its legality were raised.

“The Tribe is excited to have taken the next step in the design and construction approval process as we continue to pursue our vision of bringing a best-in-class resort and casino to Norfolk,” the Tribe said in a statement following the meeting. “Incorporating nautical design elements in our plans will make this project uniquely Norfolk and will make the casino resort an iconic feature on the City’s waterfront. This will be a resort experience of which the Tribe and the citizens of Norfolk can be proud.”

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