PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover announced a new hotel for the city Friday at the site of his State of the City address, Rivers Casino.

The new hotel, The Landing Hotel Portsmouth, is expected to open in about two years and, like the casino, be another driver to the city’s economy.

“Rivers will break ground on a new hotel in Portsmouth, The Landing Hotel Portsmouth,” Glover said. “It will take hospitality in our area to a whole new level folks. Expected to open in 2027, the hotel will offer 106 luxury guest rooms and suites, including two super suites.”

Officials with both the city and the casino say that the hotel is expected to bring in more revenue to the city, giving people a reason to stay longer within Portsmouth.

“One of the one of the drivers for casino traffic is people from North Carolina, is, can they stay here? Do they want to turn around and go back home? The hotel gives them an option to come up and spend the whole weekend and see all the other things that Portsmouth has to offer,” Rivers Casino Portsmouth General Manager, Roy Corby, said.

It will bring 200 new temporary construction jobs and 60 new permanent positions to the area.  

Glover added that the hotel project is actually two years ahead of schedule. Now, he’s hoping this will be a big win for the city. 

“Portsmouth is on the move,” Glover said. “Portsmouth is a city that people love, as you saw today, and a city where people want to be. We just have to continue to tell that story and create the environment that brings them here.”

Portsmouth councilman Bill Dodson had said earlier this year that the casino had plans for the hotel, and expect it to open before Norfolk’s new casino opens sometime in 2027. One of the benchmarks for a hotel to be built was having the net gaming revenue exceeding $250 million in two consecutive 12-month periods.

While it’s unclear how much net gaming revenue there has been, the Virginia Lottery reported Rivers Casino’s adjusted gross revenue at $260 million between January 2023 and February 2024, and $286 million between February 2024 and January 2025.

Glover opened his State of the City address by recognizing all that Portsmouth residents have overcome.

“Everyday in Portsmouth, we are proving what’s possible when we come together and acknowledge our challenges,” Glover said. “Now I know that moving forward isn’t always easy, but in Portsmouth, we can’t let our challenges overwhelm us. Because I know every thing the people of Portsmouth have overcome. We are a proud people, a resilient people. We are achievers, overachievers and overcomers.”

Glover stated that the main goal he has is to make life better for the people living in Portsmouth and boasted a 120% increase in private investment, which brought over $144 million to the city.

“Behind those numbers are people and businesses, new and old, who are moving Portsmouth forward,” Glover said.

Following this, Glover introduced a new $200 million facility within the city to help “revolutionize” how the city deals with trash.

“This facility will revolutionize the way our region handles trash,” Glover said. “It’s powered by artificial intelligence and will automatically sort and recover recyclable materials so we don’t have to. The facility will extend the life of our region’s landfills, save our resources and put Portsmouth at the forefront of smart, sustainable, innovation in Hampton Roads.”

Glover also addressed the reduction of crime within the city, stating that, so far in 2025, the city has seen an 18% drop in overall crime.