If it goes according to plan, the casino will be located in a building belonging to the headquarters of the ANNP at the head of the Friendship Bridge (Puente de la Amistad), an arch bridge connecting the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu and Ciudad del Este.
However, CAPACO and a number of architects
from the Universidad Catolica and The Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the
Universidad Privada del Este don’t want that the Project move forward.
The groups issued a combined press release stating that: "The site of the
foundation has a historical character not only for the capital of Alto Paraná,
but also for our country” and that the site of the ANNP should "be understood
as a public space, with an historical and cultural value.”
The group also argues that the site is impractical and would not bring benefits
to the area and warns that the new building could lead to overcrowding. "The
investment that should mean benefits in the development of the sector would
probably end up entailing more problems than solutions,” it said.
While the the group is in favour of investment in the city they argue that any
building project must be part of a larger "plan of economic and social
development of the region so that it benefits the greater number of inhabitants
of the metropolitan area of Ciudad del Este.”
According to the terms of the new bidding
process, total investment will stand between US$ 50 million and US$70 million
and the licence will be granted for 20 years. A number of operators are
believed to be interested in opening a casino at the site, including Hard Rock
International as well as other operators from the United States and Chile.
Source: GMB / Innovategaming.com
