Plan includes hotel, lagoon
A property developer in Queensland, Australia has proposed an AU$150 million development at the site of the Ville casino, now being renovated in the coastal city of Townsville, reports Inside Asian Gaming.
Chris Morris, who purchased the land surrounding the Ville for AU$10 million last year, told the Townsville Bulletin he wants to create a “postcard” project that would make the city a global destination. He called the land near the Great Barrier Reef “the best site of any casino in Australia.”
The concept was designed by Gary Hunt Architects and Pure Projects, who provided project and construction management services for Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The plan includes a lagoon, a new hotel with luxury villas, a marina and expansive public spaces.
“It’s got to make a statement,” Morris said.
The Ville, formerly Jupiters Townsville, is currently undergoing an AU$40 million redevelopment set for completion in May 2018. The upgrade will add three restaurants, a pool space with occupancy for up to 700 people, a rooftop infinity pool with swim-up bar and an elevated pool deck. If the project goes forward, the lagoon will be built by Crystal Lagoons, a U.S.-based company that is now building a 98-acre lagoon in Dubai. The hotel’s rooms are also being renovated.
The development is subject to council approval.
“I’d be disappointed if we weren’t doing something constructive in a year,” Morris told the Bulletin. “There’s a bit of work to do before we turn any soil.”
