Rivers Casino’s Big Night: Country Music, Construction, and the Coming Landing Hotel

By Eric S. Cavallo, Editor-in-Chief, Hampton Roads Construction News Network (HRCNN)

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — On November 29, 2025, Rivers Casino Portsmouth will host two storylines in one evening. Country artist Chase Matthew performs at 8 p.m. in the Event Center, while Earthly Infrastructure® and HRCNN document the site where the property’s first on-site hotel—The Landing Hotel Portsmouth—is planned.

The hotel advanced publicly on May 2, 2025, when Rivers Casino Portsmouth and parent company Rush Street Gaming announced plans to break ground in the summer. The project is framed as the next phase of the city’s entertainment district anchored along Victory Boulevard.

Plans call for an eight-story, privately funded build with a projected budget of about $65 million. The program includes 106 guest rooms—32 of them suites—with two larger “super suites,” and suites generally ranging from roughly 400 to 800+ square feet.

Concept materials emphasize a lobby-level reception area and bar, executive boardrooms, and direct connectivity to the casino’s existing restaurants, gaming floor, and event center, positioning the hotel to capture meeting and entertainment demand already on site.

Developers are targeting an opening in early 2027, consistent with a two-year delivery window for a mid-rise hotel adjacent to an active venue. The companies have cited construction mobilization beginning in summer 2025 and a privately financed approach to ownership and operations.

In July 2025, Rush Street Gaming selected Norfolk-based S.B. Ballard Construction Company as general contractor, moving the hotel from announcement toward execution with a Hampton Roads builder attached to the job.

The hotel follows years of groundwork: General Assembly authorization and local referendums in 2020 enabling casinos in five Virginia cities, voter approval in Portsmouth that November, and the January 23, 2023 opening of Rivers Casino Portsmouth as the Commonwealth’s first permanent casino facility.

Regional dynamics add urgency. With a competing project advancing in Norfolk—including interim facilities before a permanent casino—Rivers executives have positioned The Landing Hotel as a competitive necessity to grow overnight visitation and defend market share.

About HRCNN
The Hampton Roads Construction News Network (HRCNN) is a regional news platform dedicated to delivering accurate, builder-informed reporting on construction, zoning, and infrastructure across Coastal Virginia. Founded under Earthly Infrastructure®, HRCNN provides timely coverage that supports transparent decision-making, resilient infrastructure, and responsible growth in Hampton Roads and beyond.

Lennar Homes’ Arrival Could Shift Housing Dynamics in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake

By HRCNN Staff Writer

In Virginia’s ever-evolving housing market, few names carry the national weight of Lennar Homes. The company’s potential entry into Virginia Beach and Chesapeake signals more than just another development cycle—it suggests a realignment of how Hampton Roads approaches growth, affordability, and neighborhood planning.

Lennar, one of the largest homebuilders in the United States, has built a reputation for creating expansive communities with a focus on efficiency, accessibility, and scale. Should their presence expand locally, residents and policymakers alike will face questions about the balance between supply and demand, zoning discipline, and infrastructure capacity.

Virginia Beach and Chesapeake are already grappling with significant housing pressures, including affordability concerns, shifting demographics, and the need to diversify housing stock. A Lennar-driven community, with its signature blend of suburban design and packaged amenities, could provide much-needed relief. Yet, as with any large-scale development, the impact on schools, traffic, and public utilities will need to be carefully assessed.

Contractors and subcontractors in the region stand to benefit from Lennar’s arrival. Local firms accustomed to delivering mid-scale residential work could see opportunities expand, as Lennar typically engages a broad network of trade partners. For Hampton Roads builders, the challenge will be to maintain quality and community integration at the pace Lennar is known for nationwide.

Equally important is how municipalities respond. Chesapeake, with its abundance of developable land, and Virginia Beach, with its careful land-use planning, will likely approach Lennar projects through different regulatory lenses. Planning commissions and zoning boards will be tasked with ensuring that Lennar’s footprint aligns with long-term comprehensive plans and neighborhood character.

For residents, the trade-offs will be tangible. On the one hand, new housing supply could stabilize prices and open doors for younger families eager to put down roots. On the other hand, rapid suburbanization carries risks for open space preservation, traffic congestion, and stormwater management—issues already pressing for coastal communities.

What makes Lennar’s potential entry most significant is scale. While local builders have sustained Hampton Roads’ housing market for decades, Lennar’s size and efficiency could accelerate growth beyond current expectations. Whether that growth strengthens the region’s resilience or strains its systems will depend on how city leaders, contractors, and residents manage the next chapter.

About HRCNN

The Hampton Roads Construction News Network (HRCNN) is a regional news platform dedicated to providing timely, accurate, and in-depth coverage of construction, infrastructure, zoning, and development across Hampton Roads and Virginia. HRCNN serves as a trusted source for industry professionals and the public, ensuring transparency and insight into the forces shaping our built environment.