7 Aug 2018

Saipan casino now 69 percent complete - developer

5:20 pm on 7 August 2018

A casino resort being develop on Saipan is now 69 percent complete, its owner Imperial Pacific International says.

The 200 room hotel and casino Imperial Pacific Resort under construction in Saipan, CNMI

Photo: RNZ/Mark Rabago

During a meeting last week with the Commonwealth Casino Commission, the Hong Kong-based developer said its Initial Gaming Facility was in the advanced stage of "physical" completion.

RNZ Pacific's CNMI correspondent reported the hotel looked far from complete with its supporting beams still visible.

There were also reports that only a handful of the 200-plus rooms were finished.

Imperial Pacific said there were 1443 workers and 75 management staff at the construction site.

The workers were primarily finishing the hotel interior and the main lobby's stonework, the company said.

The $US507 million complex was due to be completed this month but the developers sought an extension until December due to a lack of manpower.

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