[COM] SkyCity Adelaide Casino Expansion | 55m | 12 Levels | Hotel

[Smithy85]

Tiser article released just now says the SkyCity board have given final approval for the upgrade.

$330m up from $300m
More hotel rooms than first planned
Construction to start 1st qtr next year after plaza works completed.

Brilliant news.

[Pikey]

And another level taller too, evidently.

[Uncle Monty]

This is excellent news and will complete the entire plaza area. Bring it on!

[Vee]

This is excellent news and will complete the entire plaza area. Bring it on!

Festival Plaza / Riverbank Precinct transformation full steam ahead.

Adelaide Casino will be transformed into a world-class integrated entertainment destination under an agreement with the Government of SA

SKYCITY Entertainment Group chief executive Graeme Stephens confirms the company has committed $A330 million (including appropriate contingencies) to proceed with its plans to expand Adelaide Casino on the Festival Plaza forecourt, adding a luxury hotel, new VIP gaming facilities, three new bars and three additional signature restaurants.

Mr Stephens says that after careful consideration, SKYCITY has decided to increase the number of hotel rooms in the proposed development from 89 to 123, adding an additional floor to the plans for the expanded building, which will be the most luxurious hotel in Adelaide.

“We believe there is demand for more quality hotel rooms in Adelaide from both domestic and international visitors. This provides a better-balanced product while also helping South Australia realise its full potential as a premium tourist destination."

SKYCITY has also allocated funds within the budget to remodel the existing Adelaide Casino building in the historic Railway Station to match the high standards the new development will set, while protecting its special character which will remain intact.

“I’m delighted SKYCITY will play a major role in what will be an amazing rejuvenation of the Riverbank Precinct, while also creating jobs and economic growth for South Australia."

....
https://www.skycityentertainmentgroup.c ... to-proceed

SKYCITY Adelaide expansion - Presentation:
https://www.skycityentertainmentgroup.c ... -final.pdf

[timtam20292]

Excellent news!

[ChillyPhilly]

Hallelujah! Great vision by SkyCity to chuck in some extra dough.

[monotonehell]

SKYCITY has also allocated funds within the budget to remodel the existing Adelaide Casino building in the historic Railway Station to match the high standards the new development will set, while protecting its special character which will remain intact.

I will hold them to this. Their current interior design is sub-local-pokie-pub standard and at the same time completely awful.

I'm expecting something that befits the grace of the original railway building, something to the standard of high rollers and not just in the high roller areas. And for ef's sake, do something about the awkward flow of the spaces. I know it's shoehorned into existing space, but the current layout does not make people feel like they can stop and gamble. Everywhere feels like a corridor to somewhere else, cramped and close with pokies wedged in. Which is weird considering the wide open feel the original casino had.

The restaurants are nice though.

[rev]

While it's good they've finally given approval for something to happen I can't help but feel this is a missed opportunity.
IMO the Railway station building should be turned into a boutique 5 star hotel or museum. The Interconinental and Riverside Center should be demolished and replaced with a purpose built casino entertainment complex that incorporates a new hotel leased to InterContinental.

[crawf]

Article from the tiser, with pics below. Festival Plaza / Office Tower to commence later this year.

Board of SkyCity Entertainment Group gives final go-ahead for expanded $330 million Adelaide Casino redevelopment
Renato Castello, The Advertiser
July 26, 2017 1:36pm

CONSTRUCTION of the highly-anticipated Adelaide Casino upgrade will start next year after its owner SkyCity Entertainment finally gave the go-ahead for a $330 million overhaul.

The New Zealand company has announced to the New Zealand Stock Exchange (NSX) on Wednesday morning that it has reached a development agreement with the State Government for the upgrade — which will include new restaurants, bars, cafes and a larger hotel with the number of rooms increasing from 89 to 123.

Construction will begin in the first quarter of 2018 after the completion of public works at the Festival Plaza Precinct later this year.

The project is expected to be finished by mid-2020.

The $330 million price tag is $30 million higher than SkyCity has previously announced. It will support 1000 jobs during construction and create 800 permanent positions once the casino opens.

The announcement comes three months after SkyCity reported in a quarterly trading update that the expansion remained subject to discussions with the State Government and Independent Gambling Authority over gaming concessions.

In Wednesday’s announcement, SkyCity has revealed it will be given greater discretion over who can access its high-roller rooms by allowing to invite up to 1000 prospective customers.

The threshold to qualify will be lowered and premium customers will be given an “increased number” of guest passes to the VIP room which has no limit on maximum bets.

Adelaide Casino general manager Luke Walker said the casino did not give the Government as an “ultimatum as such” that it would not proceed with the redevelopment without the concessions.

“The discussion with the State Government revolved around the ability to attract interstate and international customers,” he said.

“There’s been a slight relaxation to our premium rooms to facilitate that.”

He said there would be no increase in the number of pokie machine entitlements.

Urban Development Minister Stephen Mullighan said the government has not contributed any funds to the project.

The Advertiser reported in February that SkyCity was understood to have demanded the Government abandon scrutiny of its VIP rooms, arguing it should be free to decided which high rollers to reward through its loyalty programs.

The casino’s half-yearly earnings from international business shrank by more than half to $900,000 in the six months to December last year as SkyCity’s international and VIP business was hit by increased restrictions on funds transfers and reduced visits by high rollers.

SkyCity Entertainment chief executive Graeme Stephens said the company had decided to increase the number of hotel rooms after “careful consideration”.

“We believe there is demand for more quality hotel rooms in Adelaide from both domestic and international visitors. This provides a better-balanced product while also helping South Australia realise its full potential as a premium tourist destination,’’ he said.

SkyCity has also allocated $10 million to remodel the existing casino building in the heritage-listed Railway Station to match the new development while “protecting its special character”.

Wednesday’s expansion announcement — which also comes 18 months after the project received building approval — is the final component in the redevelopment of the Festival Plaza Precinct.

Works to refurbish the Adelaide Festival Centre, upgrade the northern promenade and lower Festival Drive and separating pedestrians from vehicles are already underway.

Walker Corporation is investing $500 million for a 40,000 sqm office tower, underground public carpark and retail area with work due to start this year.

The State Government is investing $180 million in a new plaza and upgrade of the Adelaide Festival Centre.

Mr Mullighan said the announcement is fantastic news.

“Reaching these agreements has involved a complex set of negotiations between the key parties — SkyCity and Walker Corporation — as well as a number of other precinct stakeholders like the Festival Centre and the InterContinental Hotel,” he said.

“The Festival Plaza will become a landmark site in the heart of Adelaide’s Riverbank Precinct, bringing together all of the precinct’s icon sites such as the Adelaide Oval, the Festival Centre, the Convention Centre and the Riverbank Bridge.

“The upgraded Festival Plaza will become a unique world-class hub for the arts, culture, tourism and entertainment.”

Premier Jay Weatherill said he was pleased to see the project progressing.

“This redevelopment, and the wider development across the Riverbank Precinct is a welcome investment in the state,” he said.

[Patrick_27]

While it's good they've finally given approval for something to happen I can't help but feel this is a missed opportunity.
IMO the Railway station building should be turned into a boutique 5 star hotel or museum. The Interconinental and Riverside Center should be demolished and replaced with a purpose built casino entertainment complex that incorporates a new hotel leased to InterContinental.

Agreed - ideally it should have also incorporated the area occupied by the new section of the Convention Centre... Too late now I guess, we'll likely be regretting it in years to come.

[[Shuz]]

Too hard basket until the underground CBD loop gets buikt. The station platforms for ARS is directly underneath Intercontinental and Riverside (80s ASER precinct). The disruption would be very intensive, having to demolish all those support columns, rebuilding new structural supports, several platforms closed for months, track diversions, reduced station capacity etc. Until additional station capacity can be provided when the two new station platforms get built underneath North Terrace for the loop, I don't see them touching the ASER area any time soon.

[citywatcher]

Too hard basket until the underground CBD loop gets buikt. The station platforms for ARS is directly underneath Intercontinental and Riverside (80s ASER precinct). The disruption would be very intensive, having to demolish all those support columns, rebuilding new structural supports, several platforms closed for months, track diversions, reduced station capacity etc. Until additional station capacity can be provided when the two new station platforms get built underneath North Terrace for the loop, I don't see them touching the ASER area any time soon.

Not to mention a few hundred millions extra it would cost

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[Nathan]

The Intercontinental itself is still quite good. The outside areas - the plaza out the front, and the space leading out to the riverbank promenade - could do with some work though as both are fairly dead spaces.

[Patrick_27]

Too hard basket until the underground CBD loop gets buikt. The station platforms for ARS is directly underneath Intercontinental and Riverside (80s ASER precinct). The disruption would be very intensive, having to demolish all those support columns, rebuilding new structural supports, several platforms closed for months, track diversions, reduced station capacity etc. Until additional station capacity can be provided when the two new station platforms get built underneath North Terrace for the loop, I don't see them touching the ASER area any time soon.

Not to mention a few hundred millions extra it would cost

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Whilst I completely see your point, if there were ever a time to do it now would be it. Create a new/temporary station entry from the Morphett Bridge and use the tail end of the existing platforms and then proceed with the works on the InterContinental/Convention Centre/Riverside Centre site(s). I've always been on the opening that rather than having car parking wedged either side of the train line, they should burry three of four levels of parking below the train line; if the area were ever exposed again it would make sense to consider this. But as you said, it's too hard for the money the state government are putting up. I do hope that 30/40 years time visionaries are too afraid to flatten the lesser valued elements of this area and start again if it makes sense to do so.

[Ser Noit of Loit]

While it's good they've finally given approval for something to happen I can't help but feel this is a missed opportunity.
IMO the Railway station building should be turned into a boutique 5 star hotel or museum. The Interconinental and Riverside Center should be demolished and replaced with a purpose built casino entertainment complex that incorporates a new hotel leased to InterContinental.

I'm guessing the trains would all converge and stop where they still do and always have under the station building. I can't see Intercontinental being demolished for a long time since it's used to much in marketing photos of Adelaide, is one of the symbols of the city and our flagship hotel.