Gaming | Sydney Crown resort gets green light

Artist’s impression of the project

James Packer’s Crown casino and hotel in Sydney has been approved by the New South Wales Planning Assessment Commission, with the authority broadly accepting changes recommended by a critical independent planning entity.
Crown Resorts said in a statement that the approval came with “substantial modifications and conditions.”
The resort, which will be built in Barangaroo, an inner-city suburb of Sydney, will be set back 30 meters from the harbor front, providing extra space for people to walk along the promenade by the edge of the casino. The proposed changes also include a larger park area near the planned Crown resort.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Company, the commission said that the accepted revisions meant “the public good has been given a more equal status with the private good.”
A statement from the commission added they have “concluded that with design changes made […] the proposed scale and form of Crown Sydney will be a sculptural and elegant signature building on the foreshore.”
The luxury “six-star” resort is said to accommodate more than 300 rooms and suites, with a variety of restaurants, bars, shops, conference facilities and VIP gaming rooms. It is expected to open by 2021.
The government expressed its support for the project back in 2013 but since then has mandated several changes to the plans, including the scrapping of an idea to have the development built on the water.
The approval comes as Macau’s casinos yet again failed to restore growth to the city’s gaming sector last month, registering a 9.6 percent year-on-year decrease in gross gaming revenue and marking 24 months of continual decline.
Crown’s partly-owned project Studio City has been among the underperformers this year, in spite of hopes that the entertainment-focused resort would mark a new era for Macau. Packer sold down his stake in the partnership last month. DB