GGRAsia – Sands’ Parisian construction still part-suspended

Sands’ Parisian construction still part-suspended

Sep 05, 2014 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck

The construction of the US$2.7 billion Parisian Macao casino resort is still partially suspended, the Macau government has confirmed.

The Cotai property is being developed by Macau casino operator Sands China Ltd. The firm announced last week it had received the government permit needed to resume construction after works were suspended in June following an on-site work accident.

A spokesperson for the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) however confirmed to GGRAsia that Sands China only received the permits for foundation works and construction of the podium area.

That news was first broken on Friday by Portuguese-language newspaper Jornal Tribuna de Macau.

The spokesperson added that construction works on the remainder of the French-themed casino resort remain suspended.

When construction was stopped in June, the bureau said that the contractor had permission only to do earthworks on the site, although it had already built a structure of approximately 10 floors in height.

The DSSOPT spokesperson was unable to provide an estimate of when Sands China would receive the required permits to resume vertical construction.

Contacted by GGRAsia, the company referred us to the press release issued last week, adding it had no further comments.

The statement, issued on August 26, said that Sands China had “received the government permit needed” for the construction of the Parisian to resume that week.

It added: “Additional permits will be necessary as the development continues, but after undergoing a brief work stoppage, this approval enables work on the critical podium structure to restart immediately.”

In a quarterly filing in August, Sands China parent Las Vegas Sands Corp said construction of the Parisian Macao was “pending receipt of certain government approvals”. The company said it had been informed that the permits were scheduled to be issued in October.

The company has said in filings that it would “analyse options for both a full and phased opening of the facility in 2015”.