Australian rivals Crown Resorts and Echo Entertainment have unveiled their competing plans for the much anticipated new super-resort headed for downtown Brisbane.
The Queensland government has released the final “integrated resort development” designs from the two consortiums fighting it out for the casino license slated to be awarded at Queen’s Wharf in the heart of the state’s capital city.
Melbourne-based Crown and Chinese property development giant Greenland Group are proposing three luxury hotels, an entertainment complex including a theater and cinema, a Neil Perry restaurant and outdoor attractions highlighted by a water park and a bridge across the Brisbane River to the cultural and recreational precinct known as South Bank that will feature a suspended waterfall.
The Destination Brisbane consortium comprised of Sydney-based Echo and Hong Kong conglomerates Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and the Far East consortium have designed a core resort shaped in an arc complete with five luxury hotels (including a Rosewood and Ritz-Carlton), an underground shopping mall and a “river arena” the size of “12 football fields” outfitted with cinemas and other attractions.
Echo says its existing Treasury Casino in the city would be turned into a boutique department store.
The casino license, one of three the government is offering statewide, is the key to both projects, which are expected to transform the state’s tourism economy by creating magnets for well-heeled spenders across the Asia-Pacific region.
“The point was very strongly made to us by international tourist operators that this sort of integrated resort development is the emerging product in the tourism market,” Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said.
Bidding rules, however, forbid both ventures at this point from disclosing gaming plans and certain other integrated features, such as their residential components.
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