www.CasinoReview-Online.com • October 2011 • 108
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Genting tempts legislators with Resorts World Miami
Having developed spectacular resorts in Singapore, The Philippines and Malaysia, and with market changing projects underway in New York and Birmingham, UK, Genting is hope to convince legislators in the sunshine state of Florida that resort casino away from tribal land would boost the economy. Phil Martin reports on the plans.
sunshinebait UNITED STATES
The Genting Group is hoping to woo Florida legislators into approving resort style casinos in Miami by unveiling what its spectacular plans for a US$3bn resort in Biscayne Bay would look like if it was given the opportunity to develop there. The skyline changing
project would comprise four hotels, 5,200 rooms, two condos with 1,000 units, a convention centre and shop- ping, 50 restaurants and nightclubs and would curve high into the sky in a futuris- tic design. Genting revealed it could
be fully operational within three to five years, if it gets a casino licence.
spokesman Tadd Schwartz said: “If destination casinos
Genting
are approved in the next year or two, they’ll build it all at once. If not, they’ll build it as the market demands, and take 10 to 15 years.”
Genting has been joined
by some leading casino names in lobbying for Florida to allow gaming outside tribal areas, but is the first to reveal the scale of its plans, claiming that Resorts World Miami could change the economies of Miami’s and Florida, using its success in Resorts World Sentosa in Sin- gapore as an example of what can be achieved. The group claims that the US hasn’t seen anything like it is proposing before. Genting Group president
Colin Au said: “If you just drop a square box with slot machines and table games you won’t have much of an eco- nomic impact. But we think
this will be the finest resort in America. We believe due to the very high unemployment rate, depressed economy and the continued uncertain outlook, it is the right time for Florida to permit a multi- billion dollar destination resort in Miami-Dade and Broward counties where racino and Indian casinos are already operating.” A 3.6-acre outdoor lagoon, the size of 12 Olympic-size swimming pools, surrounded by natural sand beaches, would be the centrepiece of the project.
The design of the 10m
square foot mixed-use project has been inspired by the region’s coral reefs. “When you describe Miami and Florida,
inevitably come back to the water,” said Bernardo Fort- Brescia, co-founder of Arqui-
tectonica, which is design- ing the project. We’ve cap- tured that relationship with this design.
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“This will put Miami on the map and make it a desti- nation. Miami has not seen resorts of this importance, Orlando has and maybe Las Vegas. This will make Miami more than competitive. It will have an advantage. I have visited Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore and was impressed by the design, the quality of landscaping, the world class art and the high calibre of the project’s oper-
ations.Resorts World Miami will be a great contribution to the tourism, entertainment and real estate markets of Miami and South Florida.” The third and fourth floors of the development have been earmarked for the gaming floor.
KT Lim, chairman and
chief executive of Genting, added: “Resorts World Miami will be a landmark mixed-use development for Miami, Florida and the United States. Downtown Miami has expe- rienced dramatic residential and commercial growth in recent years, and we believe the addition of a large-scale mixed-use and entertain- ment complex will be a wel- comed addition, further elevating the area’s status as a global destination.” Florida’s legislators have
yet to approve any kind of destination casino away from the tribal lands. Mike Speller, president of
Resorts World Genting, explained: “We will now be working with City of Miami authorities and stakeholders in the Miami community to develop this comprehensive
master plan for Resorts World Miami that leverages this loca- tion at the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic gateway cities. Genting knows Florida well and we have seen Miami evolve into an interna- tional gateway city for the Americas linking Latin America and Europe. Resorts World Miami will be another big boost for the South Florida economy and Miami’s status as a global tourist destination.” The project would also
create up to 15,000 con- struction jobs and employ 30,000 in the long-term. Legislators will be faced with the balancing act between a project that would no doubt provide a hug boost for state coffers and tourism whilst having to create a level playing field for resort style casinos, race tracks and the local Seminole Tribe.
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