After receiving a conditional license late in January, the Alter City Group’s $1.7 billion Plumeria Golf and Casino Resort at Nasarino Beach on the Northern Mariana Island of Tinian held a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday.
Monday, at a media conference, president and board chairman of Alter City Group Holdings Limited, Leong Kin Ian, said, “As president of ACG, I am very happy to be here to enhance the growth of Tinian and assure the citizens that there will be more job openings,” as reported by the Marianas Variety. Leong went on to thank the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ (CNMI) leadership for its support and said that while ACG is a “young company,” jobs, especially for the younger generation, will be created.
He said that among the many plans ACG has for Tinian, the company plans on establishing a four-year college with the hotel and tourism industry being the focus of the degree programs and will cater to students from abroad, as well as the CNMI. The signing of a memorandum of understanding between ACG and Northern Marianas College was also highlighted at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Edvon Sze, CEO of ACG said that after graduation and training, the company will hire the students. Sze added, “We are hoping to promote the CNMI and enhance its hotel hospitality program as the driver of the local economy.” Agreements will also be signed with Agile, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, and Duty Free Shop, according to Sze.
Other licenses and permits necessary to begin construction of ACG’s Plumeria Casino Resort project are being acquired, according to Sze. The project could take up to 12 years to complete and at full build out, the resort will offer 5,500 rooms, villas, and apartments, a golf course, and may include amenities such as a $500 million “aerobus” monorail system, which would physically connect the island to Saipan, and international theme parks, and more.
In addition, the hotels will have multiple towers, pool and spa facilities, farmers markets, community centers, as well as luxury retail outlets throughout more than 150 hectares (approximately 360 acres). Meanwhile, the casino’s 265,000 square feet of gaming will span three floors and include 250 slot machines and 100 table games with mass gaming areas and VIP rooms.
Meanwhile, Tinian Entertainment Corporation, has been granted a casino license for Tinian Dynasty Hotel And Casino, which could mean the shuttered casino might re-open by December. Earlier this month, the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation disconnected the electricity to the facility, which has been shut down since September 2015.