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Tinian resort project sees public backing
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Posted on Oct 06 2008
After a public hearing last week on the island of Tinian, backers of a plan to construct a futuristic, multi-million dollar resort there are anticipating the approval of an environmental permit that will clear the way for the project to move forward.
In a statement, the Marianas Resort Development Co. Inc. said the hearing saw several members of the public on Tinian calling for the approval of a Coastal Resources Management Office permit for the planned Matua Bay Resort, based on its likely economic benefits for the island’s struggling local tourism industry.
“We are pleased with the outcome of the public hearing and look forward to receiving the CRM permit in the coming weeks,” said MRDC president Kang Yun Lee. “We are very optimistic of the opportunities ahead of us all as we embark on the final steps toward acquiring our construction permits.”
Designs for the complex, crafted by acclaimed Japanese architect Shin Takamatsu, include a 405-room hotel and a casino encased in shimmering glass and surrounded by water features. Outside, plans call for an 18-hole golf course, and staff housing. The resort will also have its own drinking water and wastewater disposal systems, and back-up power generators. Construction is slated to commence in early 2009.
Meanwhile, MRDC is set to begin building the golf course after CRM’s permit approval. One potential hitch to the project is the need to relocate an existing solid waste dump at the site. Yet William Hofschnieder, one of the proponents of the development plan, said in an interview that officials on Tinian are now surveying a location outside the military-controlled section of the island for a new dump.
