Published November 4, 2008

Resorts World's West Zone likely to open later

It needs space to help build up East Zone, which will be occupied by Universal Studios

By ARTHUR SIM

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RESORTS World Sentosa (RWS) is in talks with government agencies including the Singapore Tourism Board, Urban Redevelopment Authority and Ministry of Trade and Industry to start work on the project's West Zone only when its Central and East Zones are well under way.

Quick pace: RWS plans to 'soft launch' Universal Studios Singapore and four hotels in the Central Zone by the first quarter of 2010 -

The West Zone of the $6 billion integrated resort (IR) on Sentosa will include a Marine Life Park, a Marine Xperiential Museum, an Equarius Water Park and two hotels.

RWS executive vice-president (projects) Michael Chin said that the area to be occupied by the West Zone is needed to facilitate construction of the East Zone, which will be occupied by Universal Studios Singapore.

Mr Chin said the logistics of creating just one of the theme park's attractions - Revenge of the Mummy - will require 150-200 container loads of material, equipment and paraphernalia.

And this requires space for 'container parking' and 'staging'.

RWS has never given firm opening dates for any of its attractions. But Mr Chin said that the pace of construction is 'aggressive'.

'It will be faster to stage in the West Zone and supply to the East Zone,' he said. 'We are trying to talk to the authorities and tell them this is the most sensible, logical plan that we can work on.'

With this plan in place, RWS intends to 'soft launch' Universal Studios Singapore and four hotels in the Central Zone by the first quarter of 2010. This will include 21 theme park attractions and 1,400 hotel rooms.

At present, 2,000 people are working on-site 24 hours a day. In the East Zone, the steel structure for the Revenge of the Mummy ride is being put up. But the all-suite, 12-storey Maxims Residence - which houses the casino - appears to be the fastest-rising structure, with the lift core built up to the seventh floor.

The significance of this is that RWS will want its key revenue generator - the casino - open to gamblers as soon as possible.

And it looks like nothing will stand in the way of the casino being the first attraction to open for business.

Even if the West Zone is not completed by 2010, the government has already said that the casino licence can be awarded when at least 50 per cent of the investment capital has been spent and 50 per cent of the overall gross floor area has been built.

Mr Chin confirmed that about $3 billion of construction contracts have been awarded, more recently to local companies like Cityneon Holdings and Pico Art.

And according to RWS head of communications Krist Boo, the IR will be 'quite ample as a destination', even without the West Zone.