NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A bare spot along Norfolk’s Elizabeth River could soon be home to a casino, resort and spa, thanks to the Pamunkey Indian Tribe.
The proposed location is right next to Harbor Park, home of the Norfolk Tides. General manager Joe Gregory hopes it brings more people to this part of downtown.
He said, “It’ll be good to get some development down here. If it’s something that connects us more to downtown, makes it easier for people to walk from Waterside to downtown to our game on their way to the casino or vice-versa.”
A project this large means an increase in people and Gregory hopes that might fix some parking issues.
“Maybe that’s something that is an opportunity to solve an existing concern for us already and make it ultimately a better situation for our fans,” Gregory said.
MORE: Pamunkey Indian Tribe intends to bring resort casino to Norfolk
A few streets away, the owner of d’Egg diner is excited about the possibility of a casino in Norfolk.
Phillip Decker said, “I definitely think it can’t hurt. I mean it definitely can’t hurt the region, it’ll be pretty nice to, I think, get mass people in here.”
Decker believes tourists will be impressed by some of the recent changes to the city.
“Anything that brings people to the area will help and then that will expose them to the new Norfolk because this isn’t the same place as it was five years ago,” Decker said.
The deal is far from done. Both the city and Pamunkey Tribe have to agree on a price and then get approval from the federal government.
Plus, the Nansemond Indian Nation sent a letter to Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander on Thursday saying they want to be part of the conversations moving forward.
