Construction stops again at Garapan casino

Once again IPI was found to lack a safety inspector on-site at its Garapan casino and hotel development.

Northern Mariana Islands.- The Department of Public Works (DPW) has once more ordered Imperial Pacific International (IPI) to stop construction work on its Garapan project.

According to the DPW, the operator was once more found to be lacking the engineers of record and safety inspector at the site.

This is the third stop order that IPI has received on the project. Work was ordered to be halted on October 9, 2020, and again on December 29 for the same reasons.  

Commonwealth Casino Commission executive director Andrew Yeom reminded IPI that Casino License Agreement Amendment No. 6 gives the operator until February 28 to complete the hotel and casino project in Garapan.

On top of that deadline, 28 workers from Turkey will have to leave the island before the end of the month when their visas expire. Yeom said the workers had not been paid for eight payrolls, dating back to October 9, 2020.

Commonwealth Casino Commission Chairman Edward C. Deleon Guerrero said that if IPI found that it could not finish the project next month, it must make a request and inform the commission.

The company will not be able to make such a request until it names a new chief executive officer to replace Donald Browne.

IPI has offered the CEO job to former senator Ray N. Yumul, who has said that negotiations are still ongoing.