Good afternoon,

I hope you had a fun Thanksgiving with family and friends!

On October 30, the City of Norfolk, Boyd Gaming and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe broke ground on the new Norfolk Casino and Resort.  This is an exciting step on the journey toward the opening slated for September 2027.  Boyd Gaming is investing $750M into the project that includes 200 hotel rooms, spa and gym space, amenity deck, meeting space, 8 food and beverage venues, 1500 slot machines, 50 table games and over 1000 parking spaces.  I have met the Boyd Gaming leadership and they are solid. And, they are committed to our community. They already have donated money to Norfolk State University and the USO-MidAtlantic.  Additionally, they have met with Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University and Tidewater Community College about workforce development.

At our November City Council retreat we heard updates on some of the major capital projects happening around Norfolk. City Manager Pat Roberts was excited to share there is about $879 million in 7 major projects that are taking place in the next 3 – 10 years, all of which will grow the Norfolk economy. Here are a few highlights:

• Chrysler Hall renovation:  $87M that includes city funding and historic tax credits.  Renovations will begin in June 2026 and you will begin seeing shows again starting in October 2027.  Gone are the days where you have to cross 50 people to get to your seat!  Gone are the days when you have to wait forever for the bathroom. Gone are the days you can’t get a cocktail during intermissions in a timely way.  The renovations are extensive – seating, acoustics, bathrooms, system modernization, new roof, new loading docks and more.

• Scope renovation:  $63M that includes city funding and potentially historic tax credits.  Construction will start in FY 27 as the city didn’t want both Scope and Chrysler under renovation at the same time.  Renovations include seating, food & beverage, bathrooms, VIP seating, enhanced experience and improved technology.

• Norfolk Fitness and Wellness Center:  $65M. This center will house both a recreation center and a library. The recreation elements include a gym, competition pool and splash area, playgrounds, ballfields, outdoor classroom and more. Construction starts mid-2025 and will be complete in 2027.

• Maury High School:  @$241M.  The new Maury High School located on the current campus of Maury will be a 21st century educational phenomenon.  Right now the plan is for construction to start in Q4 2025 and be open for the 2028 school year.

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) project: The cost is estimated at $2.6B of which the federal government will pay 65% ($1.69B) and there is a required non-federal match of 35% ($910M).  The project is scheduled to run from 2023-2032. Norfolk plans on funding 50% of the 35% and is requesting the Virginia General Assembly fund the other 50% of the 35% non-federal match as is common in other states doing major projects with the Army Corps. The design and alignment process is ongoing, which includes robust input from the neighborhoods that are both impacted and protected by the project. All eyes are on Norfolk as this is the first project in the nation being constructed pre-disaster and will be a resilience model for the state and the country. This will also serve as a construction/economic stimulus in terms of worker – years of labor, labor income, output and gross regional product. This project is critical given that Norfolk is home to the region’s major assets including the world’s largest Naval Base, the Port Authority, colleges and universities and so much more that the region and the Commonwealth rely upon for economic, social and educational vitality.

Enjoy the holidays in Norfolk! I have seen the lights at Winterland on the Wisconsin Battleship and the beautiful lights at the Norfolk Pagoda. There is so much happening this holiday season at the Zoo, Norfolk Botanical Gardens, Virginia Stage Company, Seven Venues locations and throughout downtown. I encourage you to take in these wonderful experiences!
Be safe and stay warm.

Cheers!
Courtney

 

Winterfest at the Wisconsin

 

 

Norfolk Casino Groundbreaking

 

 

Rode my bike to the Slover Library for the Norfolk City Council Retreat

 

 

 

Grady thinks decorating had gone a little too far!