Inside Asian Gaming

December 2014 inside asian gaming 13 Cover Story and design and has a big say in the final look of all his properties. For now, all he’s revealing is that “It will be a nice surprise, incorporating luxury and local motifs—we want to create something lasting for the area.” He expects construction will take three years and the resort will open about six months later, at which point his Bellagio will have to close so its license can be transferred to the Queensbury. Bally’s, which is currently being expanded, will continue in operation, “but we’re looking for an international operator for it,” he says. Crown is targeting a 2018 opening for Crown Colombo, but Mr Perera believes it will proceed at a similar pace as Queensbury. “They also have to finalize their drawing, then build,” he notes. “The two projects, Queensbury and Crown, will probably come at the same time. But John Keells will come before that.” While working on the Queensbury Mr Perera continues upgrading his existing properties with renovations and extensions and ongoing improvements in service. “In terms of our staff, we’ve geared ourselves to serve the international market as well as the competition that will come in in light of Crown and probably another international operator that’s going to come into John Keells,” he says. “The last 14 to 15 months have been spent improving everything to come up to that level.” He has also been busy forming relationships with junket operators and international marketers from China and India to bring high rollers to his properties. “So they’re not only bringing these players into Sri Lanka, but they’ll also bring them into other jurisdictions,” he notes, “so for us to plug into that network that we have now developed and we continue developing, it’s an ongoing thing, we can easily utilize that.” funding from the World Bank, took it upon itself to restore the lake into one of the city’s central attractions. It has been dredged and new flora and fauna have been introduced, eradicating the stench. Among the leisure facilities that will be available free to the public in the area are a 12-meter-wide walkway, a park, water-based recreational activities and an open-air entertainment space. Beyond the public amenities, further development of the area has been handed over to private interests, which are coming together to transform the prime waterfront area into a high-end leisure and entertainment zone likened to Singapore’s famous Clarke Quay. Two of the projects, of course, areDhammika Perera’sQueensbury and Crown Colombo, sitting at opposite ends of the lake in the city’s D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha District. John Keells’ Waterfront, though technically not on the lake, will border it and be within easy walking distance of Queensbury and Crown. The lakefront will further comprise a strip of retail, dining and entertainment offerings that together will comprise Colombo’s swanky new leisure hub. Another prominent structure will be the 350-meter Lotus Tower, the tallest tower in South Asia and 19th tallest in the world. Funded by the EXIM Bank of China it is set to open sometime in 2016 and will primarily draw revenue from telecommunication services but will also include restaurants, museums, retail, a 1,000-seat auditorium, ballrooms, luxury hotel rooms and, of course, an observation deck. And, finally, what self-respecting master-planned high-end leisure and entertainment hub would neglect to offer exorbitantly priced residential property to the super rich? Also set to rise at Beira Lake is Sri Lanka’s tallest apartment building, the awe-inspiring, A-shaped Altair, designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie—creator of Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay Sands casino resort. Dhammika Perera Rendering of the under-construction 350-meter Lotus Tower (left) and homes for high-flyers— Altair (right)