GGRAsia – MGM China to help Macau govt revitalise Barra district

MGM China to help Macau govt revitalise Barra district

Sep 12, 2023 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck

Macau casino operator MGM China Holdings Ltd is to work to support the city government’s plan to “revitalise” an historic area in Macau’s Barra district, by introducing more services and commercial elements to the area.

That is according to a joint presentation (pictured) co-hosted on Tuesday by the Macau government and executives from MGM China. The area that MGM China is to assist the government to revitalise is the old D. Carlos I Dock area in Barra district, which spans 35,324 square metres (380,224 sq feet) in aggregate, according to Tuesday’s press briefing.

MGM China is to assist in introducing additional leisure elements to the area, including art exhibitions, installations and performances, spaces to sell cultural and creative products, and for food and beverage services.

At the briefing, MGM China’s chairperson, Pansy Ho Chiu King, said there was not yet a timetable and budget for completing the revitalisation project, as more time was needed to analyse all the information needed for what she said was a “large-scale” initiative.

Macau’s Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Elsie Ao Ieong U, said at the same occasion that some existing government offices located at the Barra district would be relocated once work related with the revitalisation project starts. Conserving buildings of historical value within the district is one of the priorities of the project, she stated.

Speaking of the Barra district plan, Cultural Affairs Bureau director, Leong Wai Man, said the area – which encompasses several old industrial buildings - stands as a testament to the city’s maritime history. “But the district lacks foot traffic and economic vitality, which is a main reason why we want to revitalise this area,” said the bureau’s director.

Having more “commercial” elements will be beneficial for attracting more visitors to the Barra district, Ms Leong remarked.

The Macau government had already asked each of the city’s six casino concessionaires to promote “community tourism” in Macau, as part of their new concession non-gaming commitments. Such initiative entails the six casino operators assisting in bringing in tourism elements to the city’s old neighbourhoods.

On Tuesday, Ms Ao Ieong named six areas that will be revamped with the support of the casino firms. “These include the previously-announced pedestrian zone of Rua da Felicidade; piers No. 23 and No. 25 at the Inner Harbour; San Ma Lou and Rua de Cinco de Outubro [in downtown Macau]; the Barra zone that we mentioned today, as well as the Iec Long Firecracker Factory area [in Taipa]; and the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards area [in Coloane],” stated the official.

Macau casino operator Wynn Macau Ltd is to support the government’s pedestrianisation of Rua da Felicidade, by introducing non-gaming “attractions” to the area, such as shows and artistic-cultural activities, organising catering and leisure activities, and setting up decorations and art installations, according to an announcement in late August.

SJM Holdings Ltd was to introduce new tourism elements to a section of Macau peninsula running from the thoroughfare known as San Ma Lou, according to the firm’s chairman, Daisy Ho Chiu Fung, in a December public briefing.

Under the new concession contracts with the city’s six casino operators, these firms will have to collective invest MOP108.7 billion (US$13.49 billion) in non-gaming projects and overseas-marketing efforts over the course of their new 10-year permits.