
The South Australian government approved plans for upgrades to Skycity’s Adelaide Casino in January, but have now issued a call for tenders on the project. The announcement came alongside plans to renovate Adelaide Festival Plaza, with an estimated 900 million dollars to be spent once completed. The plaza will be located in Adelaide’s riverbank region and is set to become a hub for South Australian residents.
The New Zealand based Skycity announced in May their intentions to expand the corporation’s casino in Adelaide and have now fully committed to the plans. Skycity have revealed that among their main focuses with the casino upgrade are premium gaming areas for high market cliental. They’re also set to introduce 110 new gaming tables and 500 poker machines to the once-aging casino.
The upgrades have been estimated at a cost of 300 million dollars and Skycity’s capital fundraising has gathered them 243 million that will go toward the project. An 80-room luxury hotel has also been planned for the area as part of the renovations planned by the company. The construction is also aimed at attracting international customers that the older casino may have been previously missing out on.
The Adelaide Casino has been around since 1985 and has been in the top 10 largest employers in South Australia for many of those years. The expansion is set to include an 11-storey increase to the building, which has been questioned by the State Heritage Unit (SHU). The Adelaide Festival Centre and Adelaide Railway Station are both heritage listed facilities and the construction may impact them.
“The SHU considers the proposal will adversely affect the setting of the Adelaide Railway Station and will significantly diminish the presence and setting of the Drama Centre,” their statement read. However, the SHU conceded to the importance of the development to the area, but stressed that care be taken. “The desire for uplift and the Government’s focus on creating development opportunities in the precinct needs to be balanced against heritage impacts,” they said. Skycity chief executive Nigel Morrison has said the developments will create much needed jobs and economic stimulus for the state. Construction is set to begin in the coming months.