The Portsmouth, Virginia city council recently voted to support a resolution for a proposed casino and entertainment district at I-264 and Victory Boulevard, next to the Tidewater Community College campus. Previously the council supported plans for a casino at the former Holiday Inn site on the Elizabeth River. Economic Development Director Robert D. Moore said, “This is a superior site with direct access off the interstate and 50 acres. This is really going to enhance Portsmouth. It will mean additional jobs, an expanded tax base and make Portsmouth a destination city.”
Moore said, “The city wants more than just a casino.” As a result, he said, the $550 million casino-entertainment district could include a 400,000 square foot gaming and entertainment facility with a 3,000 seat performance venue, restaurants and meeting space; a 3,000-space parking garage; a 4-star hotel; 30 restaurant and retail outlets; and a movie theater. Moore said the project would create 4,000 jobs.
Portsmouth Mayor John Rowe said, “That’s a very good use for that site. It’s a better location for a casino. It makes it part of a larger development. I think it’s the kind of thing that gives you goosebumps when you think about the location.”
Moore said a Memorandum of Understanding with a developer could be reached in the next two months and a development agreement could be finalized by spring 2020.
Casino gambling is illegal in Virginia, but lawmakers are considering legislation to allow it in five cities, including Portsmouth and Norfolk. It the measure is approved in the next session, referendums would be held in each city to determine if voters want casino gambling. Even if Portsmouth voters reject gambling, “The project will move forward with or without the casino,” Rowe said.
