Jupiters Hotel and Casino to expand
A new tower deal was confirmed, moving from ground works to large structures rising up.
Australia.- The Jupiters Hotel and Casino will go through a US$259 million project which involves a refurbishment of over 600 rooms.
A large number of building contractors are to descend on the Broadbeach Island site in the coming months as a new 17-storey luxury tower begins its construction. Piling is almost completed for the main resort building and contractors had started digging out lift wells. Meanwhile, workers have begun to lay foundations for a new bridge on the island, the new access point to the tower and the port cochere.
Probuild Queensland managing director Peter Ward informed that planning and design was complete and the bulk of construction work would now begin.“You see on high rise constructions those lifts take off and that’s what you’ll start to see coming out of the ground April, May,” he said. “What we’ll then do is start following that up with each of the floor levels, said Ward. “Christmas this year you’ll have a structure well underway, a bridge that’s already in place and that leads into next year where we start doing the finishes — all the neat stuff.”
The site operator Star Entertainment Group has formalised a deal with two major Hong Kong corporations partnering in a separate 200-metre high-rise planned for the site. Star is co-developing a new high-rise of 700 new hotel rooms and apartments with Far East Consortium and Chow Tai Fook, bringing the total site transformation to US$638 million.
Geoff Hogg, Star Queensland managing director, said more public consultation on the 200-metre building was likely in the next month and final State Government approval hoped for by June, which would allow tenders for construction by September or October to ensure the two-year build could start construction in early 2017. Hogg explained that the whole site revamp is expected to create 1000 construction jobs and around 500 people would be employed at any time during 2017. In addition, recruiting would start soon for an additional 200 operational staff needed to begin work once the revamp and the 17-storey tower are completed next year.
“By Christmas this year, all the existing hotel rooms will be completed,” Hogg said. “When we get into 2017 it’s all about the launch of the new offering and the new facilities and they’re on track.” Hogg also commented that Star was starting to investigate the best way to improve access between its site and neighbouring Pacific Fair mall plus the Broadbeach dining precinct across the Gold Coast Highway. “There are ways you can create pedestrian connections that move people away from having to go through roads and intersections. Elevated pedestrian walkways, particularly between the existing island and Pacific Fair is definitely something we’re starting initial discussions on,” he added.
