Novosti operatera

Spain – Hard Rock, Melco and Peralada get extension for BCN submissions

The Department of Economy for the government of Catalonia has granted the companies interested in opening casinos at the upcoming BCN World in Barcelona (now known as the Tourist and Recreation Complex) another three months in order to submit their proposals.

Hard Rock, Melco and Peralada the three companies interested in the leisure and entertainment complex have deposited a bond of €2.5m each committing to buy land where the hotels, casinos and shopping areas will be built. Work was scheduled to begin this summer but the new extensions grants the operators until June 30th to submit their proposals.

The delay was officially made public via The Government of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya) Diario Oficial (Government Gazette) last Friday. However, Mayor of Salou, Pere Granados assured press that despite the delay that the project “is still alive.” The Mayor went onto to say that: “As it is an extension requested by the operators themselves, it must be interpreted that the project is still alive and that the operators’ interest is intact.”

According to the public announcement released by the government last Friday: “The uniqueness of the business model” implies a high level of “complexity” which necessitates “a gradual and staggered implementation” of the project. In the announcement the government said the the extension will allow the operators sufficient time to prepare their proposals in “a timely manner” while legal and financial requirements will all also be met.

Investors have alluded to the complex technical standards as laid down by the government as part of the reason for why they have needed more time. At the end of December The Urban-Development Master Plan (PDU) for the Tourist and Recreation Complex were approved. Operators Hard Rock, Melco and Peralada were given three months in which to present their proposals. Both Melco and Hard Rock are competing to operate a casino each while the Peralada Group in partnership with the Genting Group are also competing to be the sole operator and would run a single large scale casino in the resort.

Izgradnja Turističko-rekreacijskog kompleksa stvorit će između 9,000 i 13,000 izravnih radnih mjesta tijekom njegove izgradnje, koja će se odvijati postupno u razdoblju od oko šest godina prema studiji koju je objavio Fakultet za geografiju i turizam na Sveučilištu Rovira i Virgili. (Javno sveučilište u Tarragoni). Studija tvrdi da će CRT, kada bude radio punim kapacitetom, generirati između 3,900 i 5,400 milijuna eura godišnje u Camp de Tarragona. Studija je također otkrila da bi dodavanje novog kompleksa moglo dodati čak 3 do 5 milijuna posjetitelja u to područje bez obzira na to hoće li ostati prespavati. Ovi bi posjetitelji mogli potrošiti između 850 i 1,145 milijuna eura godišnje.