Sensational-Adelaide.com

Matt wrote:Looks like a pretty large expansion. I'm sure there will be bits for us plebs in there too.
Hopefully some eateries/bars facing onto the Riverbank and Festival Plaza.

ChillyPhilly wrote:

Matt wrote:Looks like a pretty large expansion. I'm sure there will be bits for us plebs in there too.
Hopefully some eateries/bars facing onto the Riverbank and Festival Plaza.

That'd be nice. The other day I was thinking about this project and others in Adelaide over the years, and gave a thought to Melbourne too. There's a significant difference between both riverfronts. I think Adelaide has the advantage in that the riverbanks are green. Melbourne ditched this along the Yarra in favour of concrete. Hopefully this advantage is used well.

pushbutton wrote:However I do not like the sound of "signature", "exclusive", "high end", "high roller" etc. What about providing some facilities for ordinary people too, as Crown casino in Melbourne does? If they did that would be fantastic and could very well be the start of a brilliant and exciting entertainment precinct for Adelaide.

Nathan wrote:

pushbutton wrote:However I do not like the sound of "signature", "exclusive", "high end", "high roller" etc. What about providing some facilities for ordinary people too, as Crown casino in Melbourne does? If they did that would be fantastic and could very well be the start of a brilliant and exciting entertainment precinct for Adelaide.

Disagree. When it opened, Adelaide Casino was pitched in the vein of an up-market European casino. You had to properly dress up if you wanted to go, and it all had an air of class to it. As they've chased the "ordinary person" since, the experience has rotted down where they have banks and banks of poker machines, tacky sports bars, lacking dress codes and woeful cover bands for "entertainment". They've taken a beautiful setting and made it an utterly horrible.

Brucetiki wrote:

Nathan wrote:

pushbutton wrote:However I do not like the sound of "signature", "exclusive", "high end", "high roller" etc. What about providing some facilities for ordinary people too, as Crown casino in Melbourne does? If they did that would be fantastic and could very well be the start of a brilliant and exciting entertainment precinct for Adelaide.

Disagree. When it opened, Adelaide Casino was pitched in the vein of an up-market European casino. You had to properly dress up if you wanted to go, and it all had an air of class to it. As they've chased the "ordinary person" since, the experience has rotted down where they have banks and banks of poker machines, tacky sports bars, lacking dress codes and woeful cover bands for "entertainment". They've taken a beautiful setting and made it an utterly horrible.

Maybe Adelaide-ians lack class

Adelaide | Commuters aren’t alone in their frustration with delayed rail projects – Adelaide Casino is also losing out.

New Zealand-based SkyCity, owners of the casino at Adelaide Railway Station, blamed rail delays for flat revenue in its annual report to shareholders, tabled this week at the company’s AGM in Auckland.

Revenue at the casino has been flat, due in part to the State’s soft economy and the rail delays, chairman Nigel Morrison told shareholders.

“A soft economy continued to beset Adelaide this year, with ongoing uncertainty over mining plans and a consequent softening in overall confidence,” Morrison said.

“Normalised revenue of A$160.4 million was flat.

“In January, the railway station that the casino sits above was closed for electrification – meaning no trains coming to our site, another of the major rail-lines still has not re-opened and no carparks.

“Our people certainly had to work hard to maintain visitation and revenue – and they did a good job in such challenging circumstances focusing on costs and increasing normalised (pre-tax earnings) margin to 23.6 percent.”

The casino operator said there were some recent positive signs.

“More recently,earnings have picked up – a sign perhaps that the worst of the downturn is over.”

The pain from rail delays, however, is likely to continue with Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis admitting yesterday the scheduled September re-opening of the Noarlunga line was “45 to 60 days” away.

The line has been closed for nine months for upgrade work.

Similar delays were experienced with the re-opening of the Belair line.

SkyCity’s report also outlined the schedule of works for the proposed redevelopment of its casino and entertainment complex.

“In July 2013, changes to the gaming legislation in South Australia passed through Parliament, paving the way for us to finalise our agreements with the Government,” the report said.

“Two key phases of development will follow.

“The first will be the refurbishment of our existing operations … to be completed during the first half of the year in 2014.

“In the second phase, we will seek development and planning approvals for our new development including the 6-star hotel, extended gaming and signature food and beverage restaurants.

“All going well, we should start construction of these in early to mid 2014 with a view to completion by mid-to-end 2016 calendar year.”

SkyCity’s general manager of business development Aaron Morrison relocated to Adelaide in January to lead the transformation.

http://www.indaily.com.au