Pacific / Northern Marianas

Slow CNMI resort construction decried

15:07 pm on 31 January 2018

An official of the company building a huge casino hotel resort in Saipan in the Northern Marianas admits the construction of the Imperial Pacific Resort is slow and the site is an eyesore.

The Imperial Pacific Resort on Saipan. Photo: Supplied./ Mark Rabago

Imperial Pacific International's Eric Poon has told the Commonwealth Casino Commission that the Hong Kong-based company is frustrated at the slow progress on the construction of the $US507-million, 300-room hotel.

He said nobody wants to see a building like that but construction has stalled with a number of issues, including funding, unpaid wages, licensing issues and illegal workers.

Mr Poon said it is in talks with Pacific Rim Constructors, a Guam-based construction firm, with access to US-eligible workers.

He said IPI remains confident that it would complete at least the required 250 rooms by the August deadline imposed by the Casino Commission.

Currently the hotel resort is 64 percent completed.