Once it became clear that gambling operator Echo Entertainment is to be awarded the Brisbane casino license, the company’s Managing Director, Geoff Hogg, said that revitalizing and repurposing a number of “beautiful heritage buildings” will be one of their top priorities while building the A$3-billion integrated resort.
However, George Deen of Deen Brothers, the firm that was in charge of the demolition of some of Brisbane’s landmark buildings, such as the Bellevue Hotel and the Cloudland ballroom, commented that the preservation of so many historical properties is what would impede the progress of Echo Entertainment’s casino project.
Mr. Deen noted that it is good for several heritage buildings to be kept. Yet, according to him, “to keep a whole precinct is counterproductive.”
Earlier this week, Mr. Hogg said that the actual work on the approved project would commence in 2017. In fact, certain elements could be taken care of even earlier. The executive pointed out that a number of non-heritage buildings would need to be removed and their demolition would probably take place before 2017.
As reported on Monday, Echo Entertainment was given the green light by the Queensland government to build a A$3-billion integrated resort at Queen’s Wharf in Brisbane. The luxury precinct would include the relocated Treasury Casino, which is run by the gambling operator, as well as a number of accommodation, dining, leisure, entertainment, and retail options.
Mr. Hogg explained that their main purpose is to turn Brisbane into an attractive tourist destination that would annually draw millions of tourists to the city. One of the main things they are to pay attention to in order to achieve this is the food and wine options they are to offer to guests of the resort. Echo Entertainment’s complex is to feature more than 50 restaurants and bars and celebrity chefs will be employed at some of those.
The numerous food and beverage facilities are expected to create thousands of new jobs, as every single of the those facilities would employ from 30 to 100 people. There will also be a great number of new indirect jobs, as Echo Entertainment is to supply its venues with local products.
The gambling operator has previously said that it would relocate its headquarters to Brisbane, in case it wins the casino bid. Commenting on this, Mr. Hogg noted that the relocation would take place a bit later, as the company is currently busy with the addition of a six-star hotel at Jupiters Hotel & Casino.
Construction on the facility is expected to start within six weeks and is to be completed before the beginning of the Commonwealth Games in 2018. The operator is to spend about $345 million on the new hotel.
