Portsmouth to rename street near casino L. Louise Lucas Dr.

PORTSMOUTH — Sen. L. Louise Lucas spent years working to bring a casino to her hometown. Soon, this legacy will be on display for all who visit Rivers Casino in Portsmouth.

The City Council voted unanimously last week to rename a stretch of road near the casino and Tidewater Community College to “L. Louise Lucas Drive” in honor of her advocacy and service to the city for over of four decades.

The road, currently called TCC Drive, is approximately one-third of a mile long and extends from Victory Boulevard in the west to John T. Casteen III Drive in the southeast in the city's entertainment district, which also includes nearby Missy Elliott Boulevard. TCC Drive also extends to a driveway that serves the casino.

Lucas told the Virginian-Pilot she didn't expect the recognition.

“I’m thrilled because there is no greater honor than to be honored in your own hometown,” she said.

The request was made by Barry Randall-Jenkins, who said the move was particularly to honor his work in bringing the first casino to the area that “benefits all citizens.”

“Not only did his dream come true, but it also generated a rich source of taxes for the city of Portsmouth, on the order of $15 million, plus dollars for our tax base,” Randall-Jenkins said in a note regarding the request.

At the May 28 meeting, he added, “This has not benefited just the Lucas family, nor just the Democrats in our city. This benefited all citizens.

Lucas, a Democrat, represents Portsmouth and Chesapeake in the Virginia Senate, where she was first elected in 1992. She was the first black woman to serve in multiple roles throughout her career, including ship fitter at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, as a member of the Portsmouth City Council in 1984 and as Senate president pro tempore and chairman of the powerful Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, a group that directs state budget negotiations.

She is also CEO of Lucas Lodge, which provides residential and health care services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The Planning Commission also voted unanimously in favor of the application. City staff noted in a memo regarding the request that no adjacent property owners objected and that Lucas was in agreement and “flattered” by the initiative.

Council member Vernon Tillage, who made the motion, praised Lucas for being a “pillar of our community.”

“Not only is she Portsmouth history, not only is she Black history, but she is the Commonwealth of Virginia history,” Tillage said. “I know people have many different opinions and political views, but aside from all those things, this woman has overcome and transcended.”