NICOSIA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Melco International Development, the Hong Kong-based owner of the Integrated Casino Resort Cyprus (ICR), said on Tuesday it has awarded the construction of City of Dreams Mediterranean to Avax-Terna JV, a partly Cypriot owned construction company.
A statement by ICR said that construction is set to begin this month and is scheduled to be completed within 2021. The investment for the creation of the resort totals 550 million euros (616 million U.S. dollars).
City of Dreams Mediterranean, reportedly the region's and Europe's largest Integrated Casino Resort, will be located in western Limassol.
The statement said the building will be adapted to the natural environment - a reply to criticism by environmental organizations that no environmental survey had been carried out prior to the issuing of the building permit.
Environmentalists said the bright lights of the casino will disorient migratory birds using a nearby wetland as their winter habitat.
City of Dreams Mediterranean will be featuring a 16-storey hotel tower with 500 guest rooms including multi-bay suites with garden balconies, an exposition center, an extensive area with four large outdoor pools.
According to ICR, the resort will offer a wide range of attractions and entertainment options beyond gaming. The project is expected to attract an additional 300,000 tourists per year to Cyprus.
The statement said the casino will create an estimated 4,000 local job opportunities during the construction phase and approximately 2,400 permanent jobs once it is fully operational.
