Osaka Prefecture Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura has announced that he wants to start the operator recruitment process this year and select its partner by Spring 2020 – even before the finalization of the Basic Policy. Yoshimura also plans to quickly draft an Implementation Policy that will be decided by the prefectural government.
Osaka Prefecture has already announced that it will fast-track an environmental impact assessment of Osaka’s planned IR location, Yumeshima Island, and started a preliminary survey earlier this year. The environmental assessment considers the impact a development project will have and suggests countermeasures. The prefecture outsources this task and the water quality and air of Yumeshima will be studied for a year, with the data provided to operators.
Mayor Ichiro Matsui says the schedule will be streamlined for every aspect possible, and that the JPY72 million expense will be invoiced to the chosen operator in the future.
The goal is to do whatever is necessary to open an Osaka IR before the Osaka-Kansai Expo in 2025 to take maximum advantage of the economic impacts.
Las Vegas Sands announced last month that it has pulled out of the race for an Osaka IR to focus on Tokyo and Yokohama, with MGM Resorts now firm favorite in Osaka.
