The waterside near Macau ‘satellite’ casino resort Ponte 16 at the city’s Inner Harbour, is a “core” element in Macau casino operator SJM Holdings Ltd’s pledge to the local government to revitalise the old town’s San Ma Lou area.
That is according to Tuesday remarks from SJM Holdings’ chairman Daisy Ho Chiu Fung (pictured, centre), at a ceremony marking the 16th anniversary for Ponte 16 and the 60th anniversary of the resort complex’s hotel brand, Sofitel, one of the five-star hotel brands of the French hospitality group Accor SA. SJM Holdings supplies the gaming licence for the casino at Ponte 16, under a so-called services agreement.
Throughout its 16 years of operation, Ponte 16 had played a role in “directing visits” to the Inner Harbour area and in supporting the economic activities of nearby small and medium-sized businesses, said Ms Ho. Under Macau’s new gaming framework coinciding with the 10-year concessions that started in January 2023, satellite casinos have a three-year grace period to move to a different business model.
Pledged revitalisation work by SJM Holdings, near to Ponte 16 includes upgrades to several historical buildings in San Ma Lou – a thoroughfare known in Portuguese as Avenida Almeida Ribeiro – Ms Ho had mentioned in a September press conference last year.
Among those buildings is Kam Pek Community Centre, which SJM Holdings is turning into a dining and leisure hub under the brand “Kam Pek Market”. It will feature local catering brands and is expected to open “between mid-December 2024 and the Lunar New Year” in 2025, according to a press release from SJM Holdings, issued earlier this month.
SJM Holdings’ revitaliastion project also includes upgrade to Piers 14 and 16, in the Inner Habour district. The two heritage sites are to feature elements related to maritime tourism, according to Ms Ho’s September presentation.
Ponte 16 is a venture between SJM Holdings, and Hong Kong-listed Success Universe Group Ltd. The Tuesday ceremony was also attended by Hoffman Ma Ho Man, deputy chairman of Success Universe (pictured, right) and Vinzenz Rosa de Pauli (pictured, left), general manager at Sofitel Macau.
