PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — City officials on Friday celebrated the midway point of construction of the $65 million, privately-funded Landing Hotel next to Rivers Casino.
The topping off of the hotel with the completion of the steel framing for the eight-story structure piggybacked on the State of the City speech given by Mayor Shannon Glover, who projected an early 2027 opening for the hotel.
“Folks, as they have always done, they underpromised and over performed,” Glover said. “Remember when we opened this building in 2023, we are two years ahead of schedule.
Rivers Casino Portsmouth General Manager Antonio Perez praised what is happening in the city.
“As we celebrate the phenomenal economic development progress in Portsmouth, we have another shining example of Portsmouth’s ongoing success, and this one is already eight stories high,” Perez said.
The hotel will bring 200 temporary construction jobs and 60 new permanent careers. It will have 106 rooms, including 32 suites.
“We’ll also have a sophisticated lobby bar, two new executive board rooms, and other amenities,” said Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rush Street Gaming and Rivers Casino Portsmouth. “We’re pleased to have the award-winning crew of Architecture and Interiors leading the design process.”
The hotel builder is Steve Ballard, leader of S.B. Ballard Construction Company.
“This is Portsmouth, the working town, working people,” Ballard said. “A couple hundred people are working here every day. They’ve been safe. We’re running a little bit ahead of schedule.”
Then they raised the steel beam part of the topping-off ceremony, which marks the near-completion of the steel frame of the Landing Hotel.
Then at the top, eight stories high, the beam lowered out of site.
“We haven’t had an eight story building rise in our city in quite some time,” said Brian Donahue, Portsmouth’s director of economic development. “I think it’s been decades since this has happened here in Portsmouth, but I can assure you there’s going to be many more to come.”
