Ahead of a voter referendum, a group leading the opposition against the Norfolk casino has received discreet support from a real estate developer.
Why? The developer desires to establish their own casino in the city of Virginia.
The Waterside District in downtown Norfolk is managed by Cordish Companies. Additionally, Cordish Companies has recently announced its support for the “Vote NO Norfolk Casino” campaign initiated by the Informed Norfolk group.
The opposition challenges the plans of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and the City of Norfolk to construct the Norfolk Resort and Casino, which carries a price tag of $500 million.
Cordish, a company that runs casinos in various states, is evidently not against the concept of casinos. However, they are specifically against this particular casino as it poses direct competition to their own establishments.
On November 3, voters have the opportunity to officially approve the project.
Unmasking the Norfolk casino opposition
Cordish Companies’ participation was initially revealed through a Facebook post, as originally reported by WAVY.com.
Informed Norfolk, a grassroots citizen group and political action committee, announced on Tuesday that it has received assistance from Cordish Companies, based in Baltimore, and Red Banyan Public Relations, based in Washington, DC. It is worth noting that Cordish has an ongoing monthly retainer agreement with Red Banyan.
As per the Facebook post, the PR firm has reached out to media outlets and carried out research activities on behalf of Informed Norfolk. The post states that these services were provided through a generous donation of $2,880.
Informed Norfolk is a community-driven initiative that aims to expose the shortcomings and deficiencies within our society. It is organized and led by citizens, emphasizing the importance of their involvement and participation.
On Tuesday, October 6, 2020, Votenocasinonorfolk made a post.
According to the post, it was mentioned that the campaign also received contributions from three restaurants owned by Cordish in the Waterside District.
- Blue Moon Taphouse
- Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse
- PBR Norfolk
It has been reported that Cordish executives have allegedly made threats of legal action against Norfolk due to the city’s agreement with the Pamunkey Indian Tribe. The tribe was chosen as the preferred partner for the casino project in May.
A Cordish-owned casino in Norfolk?
In the event of a successful referendum, the Pamunkey tribe intends to construct their resort adjacent to Harbor Park baseball stadium, situated on the banks of the Elizabeth River.
The Waterside District is just a short walk away.
Moreover, the possible casino in Norfolk could significantly impact Waterside’s operations as they would be vying for the same customer spending. The Pamunkey casino, in particular, would offer its own array of bars, restaurants, and various entertainment choices. Additionally, it would have the added attractiveness of a casino, sportsbook, hotel, spa, and pool.
However, executives from Cordish contend that they have already reached a pre-existing agreement with the city, which includes provisions related to the casino.
Cordish, in its argument, states that as a component of the $40 million deal for redeveloping the Waterside District in 2017, it was guaranteed the opportunity to enlarge the complex by incorporating a casino in the event that casino gaming was legalized in VA.
Earlier this year, the commonwealth officially granted approval for casinos and sports betting. As a result, five selected cities in Virginia are now preparing to hold referendums on the establishment of casinos. Despite having casino deals in Pennsylvania and Maryland, Cordish has yet to make any significant progress towards obtaining its own casino in Virginia.
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