PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Rivers Casino Portsmouth celebrated Tuesday with the completion of the steel framing for the new gaming and entertainment complex on Victory Boulevard.

The facility is set to open in early 2023.

The Topping-Off Ceremony was held Tuesday morning with officials from the Ballard-Yates construction teams, Rivers Casino Portsmouth leadership, and local officials signing a Rivers-yellow steel beam before it was raised and hoisted into place.

The beam marks a significant construction milestone for the property since its groundbreaking in December 2021.

“We began moving dirt and setting the stage less than a year ago, and we are making great progress,” said Justin Ballard, S.B. Ballard Construction Company. “Despite supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic, we are still on track to complete this project early 2023.”

The brief beam-raising ceremony featured remarks from Senator L. Louise Lucas; Mayor Shannon Glover (Portsmouth); Roy Corby, General Manager, Rivers Casino Portsmouth; and Justin Ballard, S.B. Ballard Construction Company (Ballard-Yates).

This $300 million-plus project will feature a casino, BetRivers Sportsbook, premier restaurants, a live entertainment lounge, hotel, and event center; and will bring 1,300 new permanent jobs and approximately 1,400 construction jobs to the area.

Rivers Casino Portsmouth recently announced a series of five job fairs, one per month over the next five months, beginning May 12 at Tidewater Community College’s Portsmouth Campus.

The first job fair will focus on table games and dealer school training. For information about all the upcoming job fairs, visit riverscasinoportsmouth.com.