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CRM board approves BSI major siting app
Regulatory officials approved last Friday Best Sunshine, Ltd.’s major siting permit application for a 14-story casino resort in the heart of Garapan.
Division of Coastal Resources Management director Fran Castro confirmed that the CRM board, which is comprised of representatives of different local regulatory agencies, approved the application.
The new development, or the “Grand Mariana Casino Resort” is part of Best Sunshine’s first phase of operations as the island’s exclusive casino licensee.
In their permit application, BSI forecasted construction, labor, and guest numbers in the major siting permit application
On local labor demands, BSI projects that out of a total 650 staff, there will be a required 423 local workers in business years one and two.
In Year 3, out of a projected total of 1,500 workers, BSI will be required to have 975 locals working. In Year 4, BSI projects this number to grow to 1,138 locals out of a total 1,750 workers. In Year 5, this increases to 1,219 local workers out of 1,875 workers total.
From business years six to seven, BSI would be required to have 1,300 locals employed out of their total 2,000 projected employees.
For visitor arrivals, BSI’s casino resort destination is forecasted to represent a visitor arrival increase of approximately 15 percent over 2013 arrivals in year one.
In Year 1 and 2 of their “business plan,” BSI projects 65,700 guests. In Year 3, they project 197,100 guests. In Year 4, this is projected to grow to 229,000 guests.
In Year 5, BSI projects 246,375 guests. And from years six to 10, they project 262,800 guests.
BSI’s proposed construction costs are estimated at $165 million, as also disclosed in their earlier Zoning application. However, they have noted, this estimate is still under review.
Best Sunshine has also begun design on an approximately 8,500-foot sewer force main, or pressurized pipe system, to accommodate waste flows from its hotel. Other off-site include improvements to Hibiscus Street and the repair of the oft-polluted open-air canal beside the hotel property.
