Imperial Pacific International is planning to include up to 1,700 hotel rooms being developed in Saipan by American Sinopan LLC under its room count requirement.
Chairman of the Commonwealth Casino Commission, Juan M. Sablan, hinted that IPI would be legally allowed to incorporate the new rooms under its count during a ground-breaking ceremony for American Sinopan’s Imperial Casha hotel over the weekend.
Saipan’s casino law requires IPI, which recently acquired a 50% stake in American Sinopan, to develop a 2,000-room integrated resort, however in May the Lottery Commission granted an IPI request to credit the company with rooms built by partners or investors in the future.
According to Marianas Variety, IPI Chairman Mark Brown said the Imperial Casha development meant that it was “building on an unbelievably beautiful site with over a thousand rooms,” adding the development “creates excitement and investments for Saipan.”
Lt. Governor Arnold I. Palacios said the groundbreaking was “another promising sign of economic recovery for our islands. This groundbreaking ceremony will unveil one of the core projects of IPI that will build upon quality visitor infrastructure on our island,” he said.