Imperial Pacific International says it will open the first six of 15 VIP suites or villas at its Imperial Palace‧Saipan integrated resort by 30 September, with Phase 1 of the project, the hotel, expected to open by the end of the year.
A progress update was provided by IPI’s Assistant VP of Construction, Eric Poon, during a hearing with the Commonwealth Casino Commission this week.
According to the Saipan Tribune, Poon said that around 40 workers from Mongolia will arrive next week on temporary H2-B visas in order to ensure completion of the villas, where landscaping work is underway.
There are currently 686 construction workers on site, with more set to arrive in the coming weeks, although Poon added it wasn’t enough to finish all 15 villas in time.
He also revealed a range of expected completion dates IPI aimed to meet ahead of its 21 February 2021 deadline for full launch of Imperial Palace‧Saipan.
They include a forecast date of 30 June 2020 for the second hotel, 30 September 2020 for the VIP gaming and sky level and 31 December 2020 for the Beach Club.
IPI recently requested a further extension to its completion deadline until 31 August 2022 although the CCC has yet to grant its request, having only last year entered into a written amendment to the Casino License Agreement allowing for a change to the deadline from 31 August 2018 to 21 February 2021.