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Business Wire
02-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Rivers Casino Portsmouth Plans Summer Groundbreaking for The Landing Hotel
PORTSMOUTH, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rivers Casino Portsmouth and Rush Street Gaming today announced plans to break ground on a new hotel this summer: The Landing Hotel Portsmouth. Mayor of Portsmouth Shannon Glover first shared the news during the annual Portsmouth State of the City meeting as another sign of tremendous economic momentum in the City of Portsmouth. The sold-out State of the City 2025 meeting was held in The Event Center at Rivers Casino on May 2. 'Portsmouth is on the move – and we're winning,' said Mayor Glover. 'The Landing Hotel Portsmouth is more than just a beautiful new addition to our skyline. It's a symbol of Rivers Casino's positive impact on Portsmouth and our continued rise as a regional entertainment destination.' The Landing Hotel Portsmouth is a $65 million privately funded development. The project will bring roughly 200 new temporary construction jobs and 60 new permanent positions to Rivers Casino Portsmouth. In addition to the new hospitality tax for the City of Portsmouth, the hotel is expected to drive additional local commerce and gaming, restaurant, conference, and event revenues by supporting weekend and overnight visits to the area. The Landing Hotel Portsmouth is expected to open in early 2027. 'A hotel was always part of the casino's masterplan, and we're excited to be moving forward as expected,' said Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rush Street Gaming and Rivers Casino Portsmouth. 'The Landing Hotel Portsmouth will be Rush Street's fourth casino hotel, custom-designed for the greater Hampton Roads market.' Award-Winning Architectural Design The Landing Hotel Portsmouth will be an upscale eight-story destination directly adjacent to Rivers Casino Portsmouth—overlooking the property's water feature. The hotel will have 106 well-appointed and generously sized guest rooms, including 32 expansive suites, among them two 'super suites' providing both indoor and outdoor space. Setting this property apart are spacious guestrooms and upsized suites comparable to luxury hotel brands. Suites will range from approximately 400 square feet to over 800 square feet. A sophisticated Lobby Bar is planned near the reception area on the first floor, where two private executive board rooms and other amenities will also be available. Complimentary breakfast and a sundries shop will be among the hotel's offerings. Guests of The Landing Hotel will have immediate access, via a dedicated covered corridor, to The Event Center at Rivers Casino along with eight on-property restaurants and lounges—including the popular Admiral's Steak & Seafood, an Open Table Diners' Choice winner—plus BetRivers Sportsbook, poker room and the full-service gaming floor. The architect is the award-winning KOO Architecture & Interiors of Chicago. KOO is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Women's Business Enterprise (WBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and a member of the U.S. Green Building Council. A Winning Destination on Victory Boulevard 'Having a hotel fulfills the promise of an integrated destination-style casino,' said Roy Corby, general manager of Rivers Casino Portsmouth. 'The Landing Hotel will make Rivers an ideal choice for weekend getaways, wedding parties, conventions and expos, business travelers, concertgoers, and sports fans alike.' The Landing Hotel Portsmouth will be independently owned and operated by Rivers Casino and Rush Street Gaming, which also owns and operates The Landing Hotel in Pittsburgh and Schenectady and Riversuites in Philadelphia. The Landing Hotel Portsmouth will be a non-smoking facility. Guests must be over 21 and present a photo ID to access Rivers Casino's gaming floor. For additional information and reservations, visit EDITOR'S NOTE: A Video and High-resolution renderings of The Landing Hotel Portsmouth, courtesy of KOO Architecture & Interiors of Chicago and Rush Street Gaming, are available here: TLH Renderings. Rivers Casino Portsmouth is a world-class destination located along Victory Boulevard, south of I-264. As part of Portsmouth's New Entertainment District, the complex currently features a full-service casino, poker room, BetRivers Sportsbook, event and conference venues, premier restaurants, and more. Rivers Casino Portsmouth is Virginia's first permanent casino and the latest addition to Rush Street Gaming, one of the fastest-growing casino and entertainment companies in the country. Rush Street Gaming and its affiliates have developed and operate successful casinos in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Des Plaines, Illinois; and Schenectady, New York. All Rush Street Gaming casinos, including Rivers Casino Portsmouth, have been voted a 'Best Place to Work' or 'Top Workplace' by their Team Members. For more information about Rivers Casino Portsmouth, including ongoing career opportunities, please visit


Miami Herald
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
The 44 Percent: Black homeownership, Cam Ward, Sam Cooke and Ryan Coogler
In 2019, when it was reported that Quentin Tarantino structured a deal with Sony in which he would retain the rights of his film 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood,' it was lauded as a rare deal only a few movers and shakers such as George Lucas ('Star Wars' franchise) and Mel Gibson ('The Passion of the Christ') secure for themselves. One article goes on to list a litany of white male directors who have made this deal. This is why the reported passive-aggressive responses to filmmaker Ryan Coogler inking a similar deal for his blockbuster film 'Sinners' are jarring by comparison. Instead of being welcomed into a rare club, Coogler has been met with the coded language of 'dangerous' and other bad faith framing that suggests because this particular person (read: Black) made these asks and they were met, it sets a bad precedent for other filmmakers and studios. Still, ownership for Black people means something. We know if we buy a home, it is not just a place of comfort it is a means of accumulating generational wealth. Similarly, some Black business owners know they have the independence of setting their own hours and not answering to a boss, board of directors or figurehead, and, again, is a means of accumulating generational wealth. So, the coded language used to criticize, question and undermine Coogler is intended to dissuade other Black filmmakers from pursuing the same deals that white counterparts have already been granted. It also seeks to simply put a 'Black boy' in his place. What Coogler showed through his deal is that ownership is necessary for our Black communities to thrive. And at a time when there are individuals seeking to stymie Black people's efforts to grow, it's important now more than ever to seek ownership as often as we can and in creative ways. INSIDE THE 305: Black South Floridians struggle to buy and keep homes in Miami's gentrifying communities Minority Business reporter Michael Butler and I worked on a story about the struggles of Black homeownership in South Florida. Whether it's buying a home or holding onto a legacy home, these Black families spoke to the challenges faced in a tense South Florida housing market. Partnership between Black-owned app and bank helps Miami renters build credit Low credit scores have traditionally been a barrier for Black families obtaining home loans. But Black-owned bank, OneUnited, and credit reporting app Esusu hope to change that. As Butler reported, the goal is to help renters build their credit score based on their positive rental histories. Esusu will report the monthly rental payments to the credit bureaus to help them build credit. 'Historically, it has not been included,'OneUnited Bank CEO Teri Williams told the Miami Herald. 'They ding you when you pay your credit card 30 days late, but you may still be paying your rent every month on time.' All Cam Ward needed 'was a chance.' Now, he will likely be the top pick in the NFL Draft Cam Ward consistently bet on himself. It has now led him to be the likely top pick in the NFL Draft, making him the third Miami Hurricanes player to be selected No. 1 overall, UM Hurricanes reporter Jordan McPherson writes. As McPherson reports: It will be Ward's latest ascent in a career full of ascension. But as the stage got bigger and the lights got brighter, Ward never let it faze him. 'It just goes back to me not forgetting where I came from,' Ward said. 'I carry myself in a certain type of way. All I want to do is play football and be with my teammates. So long as I be a good person, it'll work out the long run.' OUTSIDE THE 305: Tina Knowles Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis And Shares 1 Important Lesson In a vulnerable interview with CBS Morning News' Gayle King, Tina Knowles, mother to singers Beyonce and Solange, revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer. 'It was stage 1, which I thought was the earliest stage, and when I told my sister she said, 'No, there's a zero,'' Knowles told King. Knowles said it might have been caught sooner had she not missed her mammogram due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The interview is part of Knowles' press run for new book 'Matriarch,' released on Tuesday. Knowles does not have a stop in Florida during her book tour, but those interested can find more about her book here. With heart and history, FSU Legend Charlie Ward steps into role at FAMU Heisman trophy winner and Florida State University dynamo Charlie Ward detailed his plans for FAMU's basketball program at a press conference formally introducing him as the Rattlers' head coach, FSU Seminoles on SI reported. 'Our goal as a program would be to focus on the whole athlete by providing them opportunities and professional development, community outreach, team bonding, and being leaders on campus. We will develop men of character and integrity so they can reach whatever goal they set,' Ward continued. 'I'm committed to building a team that competes hard, plays with discipline, and represents FAMU with pride.' HIGH CULTURE: Hampton Art Lovers Presents: Jazz Under a Simple Tree: Live @ Harlem Square (1963) Recorded in 1963 in Overtown, Sam Cooke's 'Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963' is heralded as one of the best live albums. And Thursday, jazz lovers can hear the sounds of Cooke as Miami group Old Skool Gang performs the full live recording at the Historic Ward Rooming House Gallery at 249 NW 9th Street in Overtown. The event starts at 7 p.m.