Posted on: September 17, 2024, 02:34h.
Last updated on: September 17, 2024, 02:44h.
The developers of the Norfolk casino project have stated that indoor smoking will be permitted in designated areas of the gaming floor. Additionally, they have committed to providing free parking for Amtrak train passengers.
New information about the revised Norfolk casino project continues to surface. The significant recent development is the partnership between the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming to co-develop the resort.
Previously, the federally recognized tribe had a partnership with Tennessee billionaire Jon Yarbrough for a tribal casino about 60 miles north of Norfolk. However, after Virginia’s legalization of casinos in five cities, including Norfolk, city officials collaborated with the tribe for the development of a commercial casino in Norfolk instead of a tribal one.
Yarbrough, known for his success in manufacturing gaming machines for tribal venues, recently sold his 80% stake in the partnership with the Pamunkey Tribe to Boyd Gaming.
Resort Details
Recent approval from the Norfolk City Council has finalized the amended casino agreement to include Boyd Gaming and exclude Yarbrough. Boyd Gaming will now assist the tribe in raising funds for the construction of a casino resort expected to cost over $500 million along the Elizabeth River, adjacent to the Harbor Park Minor League Baseball stadium in Norfolk.
The casino partnership has agreed to maintain free parking for Amtrak customers, with a minimum of 103 spaces in the resort’s 1,300-space parking garage designated for Amtrak passengers.
In addition, during the construction phase, Boyd Gaming and the tribe have committed to providing a shuttle service for ticketed Amtrak passengers from a temporary parking location that is yet to be determined.
The Norfolk Amtrak station, situated south of Interstate 264 on the eastern edge of the baseball stadium’s parking lot, will see Boyd Gaming and the Pamunkey Tribe, operating as Golden Eagle Consulting II, LLC, acquiring a little over eight acres of the city-owned parking area for $10 million.
Originally planned to purchase 13.5 acres, the resort site was reduced following announcements from the federal and state governments regarding an infrastructure plan that includes the construction of a 17-foot-high seawall along the riverbank, resulting in reduced land availability.
Smoking Allowed
Virginia’s Clean Air Act of 2009 banned indoor smoking in most public settings and workplaces. However, exemptions were made for parimutuel racetracks and off-track betting parlors. The 2020 commercial gaming law in Virginia also allowed for casinos to permit smoking indoors.
Boyd Gaming representatives have confirmed that smoking will be permitted in the upcoming Norfolk casino.
Uri Clinton, executive vice president of Boyd Gaming, stated, “We aim to create a pleasant environment for both smokers and non-smokers. Today’s technology allows for this to be achieved.”
The latest blueprint for the Norfolk casino suggests the use of advanced ventilation systems to minimize the presence of secondhand smoke in designated non-smoking areas. However, the CDC recommends implementing a floorwide smoke-free policy to adequately protect casino employees and patrons from secondhand smoke exposure.