{"id":300445,"date":"2019-05-29T06:06:25","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T20:06:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=300445"},"modified":"2019-05-29T06:06:25","modified_gmt":"2019-05-28T20:06:25","slug":"still-unmanaged","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/still-unmanaged\/","title":{"rendered":"Still unmanaged"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
At the end of the Commonwealth Casino Commission meeting last week, IPI chief executive officer Mark Brown confers with casino commission lawyer Mike Ernest as\u00a0IPI\u00a0general\u00a0counsel\u00a0Phillip J. Tydingco looks on. (BEA CABRERA)
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Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LCC was supposed to start operating the entire Mariana Resort & Spa by mid-May but, as the month draws to a close, that hasn\u2019t happened yet.<\/p>\n

The company blames the many hoops it is being made to jump through to get the process done.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems like we take one step forward and then we have to take three steps backwards,\u201d IPI chief executive officer Mark Brown told Saipan Tribune.<\/p>\n

Last month, the company got the notice from the Department of Public Lands to allow the casino operator to manage and operate the resort. IPI\u2019s planned takeover was supposed to happen by the middle of May and IPI now feels stuck in the middle of many processes that have resulted in the delay.<\/p>\n

Brown said they announced at the Commonwealth Casino Commission meeting last April that they have already received the notice from DPL that IPI is getting the management agreement to operate Mariana Resort and that they have been working out the finances since then.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut now other questions have been raised,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

According to Brown, the Office of the Attorney General is seeking additional information relating to the grant of the management agreement from DPL. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat is what we are doing now, gathering more information so we can move forward with that,\u201d he said<\/p>\n

The goal in the end is to get the Mariana Resort land \u201cbecause we cannot plan properly without the lands,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are trying to get lands to tie together with our Garapan construction and on to the other phases.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is the frustration and difficulties that our company has to go through.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the [casino] commission asks us about our work plans, we answer respectfully that we want to move forward but it is very difficult to have a plan when we don\u2019t know where that next building is going to be built,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The development of the Marpi area is referred to as Phase II in the casino management agreement, which IPI is a privy to as the exclusive casino license holder on Saipan.<\/p>\n

Brown said he is aware that the island needs money and, in the event the management agreement pushes through, the income from the rent of the property will be of help. \u201cDPL doesn\u2019t have the money to take care of the land,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He pointed out that, under the management agreement, IPI is going to pay for the property at a higher rate that what the original owner used to pay. Brown said that IPI will pay 10 times more for the property per year. \u201cWe will take care of the property so we are still figuring out why it is taking long,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Mariana Resort and Spa used to be run by Kan Pacific Saipan Ltd.<\/p>\n

The management agreement that is supposedly set for one year is not a lease agreement and, despite the waiting game, Brown said that they are looking forward to fulfilling the phases and plans of the company.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Secretary] Marianne Teregeyo of DPL is doing her job as she is trying to push forward, the governor and lieutenant governor are trying to help but this is really all about getting all of them to agree, including the attorney general,\u201d he said. \u201cOur goal is to get the land\u2026\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cTwo years have gone by and we are still waiting,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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