Pamunkey Indian Tribe Seeks Preservation of Chief Powhatan’s Birthplace as It Advances $750 Million Norfolk Casino Resort
TL;DR — The Pamunkey Indian Tribe is fighting to protect the sacred birthplace of Chief Powhatan from BGRE’s mixed-use development while advancing its $750M Norfolk casino, slated for first-phase opening in late 2027. Chief Kevin Brown equates development to building at the Grand Canyon and demands an immediate rethink. BGRE has allocated 6.5 acres for a commemorative site after a dozen claimed meetings since February 2025.
SCCG Take — This dispute shows tribal gaming projects in Virginia must reconcile heritage claims with development timelines to preserve political support and avoid prolonged conflicts.
The Pamunkey Indian Tribe is using its political influence in Virginia to block commercial development at Tree Hill Farm, the birthplace of Chief Powhatan nearly 500 years ago. The tribe, which only gained federal recognition in 2015, is in the midst of constructing a $750 million casino resort on the Elizabeth River next to Norfolk’s Harbor Park Minor League Baseball stadium.
The more than 500-acre rolling landscape of farmland and woods in Eastern Henrico County is slated for mixed-use development by BGRE, the real estate arm of Brookfield Asset Management with more than $1 trillion in assets under management. Tribal leaders call the land sacred.
Pamunkey Tribal Chief Kevin Brown said: “It would be like building a mall at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.” Brown continued in remarks to WTVR Richmond: “They [BGRE] need to sit down with us and we need to stop this development right now and rethink the whole idea. Once it is destroyed, it is gone forever.”
BGRE states it is dedicated to honoring the land’s history, with 6.5 acres designated in its plans for a “Native American commemorative site.” The company says it met with tribal officials more than a dozen times since February 2025, though the tribes dispute that account.
Legacy of the Powhatan Chiefdom
The Pamunkey people claim to have inhabited the region east of Richmond for 13,000 years and formed a core part of the powerful Powhatan Chiefdom. Led by Chief Powhatan, whose proper name was Wahunsenacawh, the chiefdom consisted of more than 30 Algonquian-speaking Native American tribes in Southeast Virginia’s Tidewater Region. The alliance took shape as early English colonists arrived and established Jamestown in the early 1600s.
Powhatan led his people through the initial years of colonial contact, initially pursuing diplomacy and trade before relations deteriorated. He died in 1618. His daughter Pocahontas married colonist John Rolfe in 1614 and died at age 21 a year before her father.
Norfolk Casino Project Details
After Virginia passed a commercial casino bill in 2020, Norfolk designated the Pamunkey Indian Tribe as its exclusive gaming developer. The tribe initially worked with billionaire Jon Yarbrough before Boyd Gaming bought out his interest in September 2024 amid legal and financing disputes. Boyd and the Pamunkey opened a temporary modular casino called The Interim Gaming Hall in November 2025. The destination is expected to open its first phase in late 2027.
Reporting: Casino.org News
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
Heritage conflicts can delay or derail tribal gaming projects if cultural preservation and timelines aren't aligned early.
We've worked in tribal gaming long enough to know sacred site disputes are project killers if mishandled. The Pamunkey are pushing a three-quarter-billion-dollar Norfolk resort while fighting BGRE over Chief Powhatan's birthplace—two parallel tracks that demand careful political navigation. This is about preserving momentum and credibility in a competitive Virginia market.
- $750M Pamunkey casino resort in Norfolk targets late 2027 first-phase opening
- Tribe demands halt to BGRE's Tree Hill Farm development on sacred 500-acre Powhatan birthsite
- BGRE allocated 6.5 acres for commemorative site after disputed meetings since February 2025
SCCG angle: SCCG has guided tribal gaming projects through cultural and regulatory complexity across North America. When heritage claims intersect with development timelines, we bring stakeholder alignment expertise and government relations networks to keep projects on track without sacrificing credibility or community trust.