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Question if Casha is part of IPI up in the air
The Commonwealth Casino Commission is going through the language of the casino law to see whether Imperial Casha’s integrated resort rooms that Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC is planning to build with American Sinopan LLC in Tanapag will be counted as IPI’s.
IPI has entered into a joint venture with American Sinopan by acquiring a 50% ownership in the company, with a plan to build a hotel project called Imperial Casha.
CCC audit manager Charlie O. Atalig said in an interview last week that CCC is interested in getting more information about the Imperial Casha project.
Atalig said a question was raised with CCC chair Juan Sablan at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Imperial Casha project last July 20 whether the rooms of Imperial Casha qualify under the Public Law 18-56 requirement.
P.L. 18-56, which allowed casino gaming on Saipan, requires IPI to build 2,000 new hotel rooms and invest $2 billion.
Atalig said Sablan mentioned that CCC has to double-check the language of the law.
Atalig said there was a misunderstanding where someone may have thought that Sablan’s nod to the question was an affirmation that the Imperial Casha’s rooms can be credited to IPI.
Atalig said he believes it would not qualify for the reason that the casino license agreement is very specific in that different phases.
“My understanding of the Imperial Casha is that it is sort of condominium type of project,” he said.
The audit manager said if condominium qualifies as a guest room, then it is possible that Imperial Casha is counted for the purpose of Public Law 18-56.
