[ manilastandardtoday.com ] April 19, 2011
Belle Corp. has moved the soft opening of its planned $1-billion integrated casino and resort facility to the second quarter of 2012.
Belle vice chairman Willy Ocier said in a text message the opening of phase 1 of the project was delayed after the company expanded the whole development by 35 percent to accommodate more facilities and amenities to support the integrated resort and casino project.
“We want to open with more amenities. Thus, the target is second quarter of 2012,” Ocier said. The company earlier said it planned to open the integrated casino and resort facility by the last quarter of 2011.
Belle said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Belle Grande Manila Bay would have 150 to 170 tables and 1,500 slot machines with total gaming space of 12,836 square meter of gross floor area during the soft opening.
The whole development by the end of 2012 would contain 350 gaming tables, 1,900 slot machines and gaming area of 19,626 sq. m.
The company also plans to build two hotels offering 159 rooms and 86 suites. The first is a five-star hotel that will target the VIP and junket gaming customers while the second is a four-star hotel geared toward the mass market.
Belle will build four condotel towers offering 466 units. The units may be sold to investors and placed in a pool to be managed by the company or the hotel operator.
A variety of non-gaming amenities are in the pipeline to drive additional foot traffic to the integrated resort project. Among these are high-end retail and dining outlets and arts theater. Jenniffer B. Austria
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