Imperial Pacific could request deadline extension

The Saipan casino may request another extension to complete its hotel project.

Saipan.- Commonwealth Casino Commission Executive Director, Edward Deleon Guerrero, has said that Imperial Pacific could end up asking for another deadline extension to complete its 329-room hotel project, but confirmed that the commission still hasn’t received any requests.

Imperial Pacific has faced multiple difficulties in the last few years, such as the Typhoon Soudelor that hit the islands in 2015 and several labour shortages. For this reason, the casino has already received one extension until August 2018.

As local media reported, Keith Stewart – president of IPI’s contractor, Pacific Rim – informed the casino commission that they are assessing the project, which is 64.8 per cent complete. Pacific Rim, which has become the new contractor of Imperial Pacific, is currently bringing workers from other territories, such as the Philippines and Taiwan, and said that it will complete the 250 rooms by the deadline.

“Among the reasons is lack of skilled labor but that has been resolved already, and it’s just a matter of time before all of them will show up. Some are already here and more are showing up next week,” said Guerrero.