The government is working to reclaim an abandoned property, terminating the land lease for the 14,918 square meter plot where the long-shuttered Beijing Imperial Palace Hotel is located, Macau Business has reported, citing documents from the Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU).
According to the report, the DSSCU initiated procedures Sept. 17 to revoke the land concession held by Empresa Hoteleira de Macau, Limitada.
The government has cited provisions in the Land Law that allow for the reclamation of land when the property is not being used for its intended purpose.
The Beijing Imperial Palace Hotel was a 500-room integrated resort that was embroiled in controversy and legal disputes that eventually led to its closure in 2016.
The property opened as the New Century Hotel in 1992 before being rebranded in 2013.
Gaming authorities shut down its casino venue in 2015, and the entire hotel was temporarily closed the following year due to “serious administrative irregularities” and “illegal reconstructions.”
The hotel’s license was subsequently revoked in 2017, and the property has remained closed since then.
The land was the subject of a prolonged ownership dispute between Empresa Hoteleira, owned by junket operator Amax chairman Ng Man Sun, and Victory Success, a company controlled by former Suncity Group CEO Alvin Chau.
In 2018, the Court of Second Instance ruled in favor of Empresa Hoteleira, allowing the company to regain temporary control of the hotel.
However, the following year, the company’s application to redevelop the property was abruptly canceled, without explanation.
With the termination of the land lease, the Taipa land lot will revert to the government.
For the time being, no projects or prospects for the land plot have been announced, with the plot likely to be included in land reserves for future development. Victoria Chan
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