Designed by renowned architect Oscar Niemeyer and built during the Aécio Neves (PSDB) government at a cost of US$ 385 million to the public coffers, the Administrative City may become a resort with a casino in the future. The information was given exclusively to local media Hoje em Dia by the president of the Economic Development Company of Minas Gerais (Codemig), Marco Antonio Castello Branco.
One of the obstacles is the approval of legalization of gambling in Brazil. There are currently two bills underway in Congress that address this issue. The Senate Bill (PLS) 186 returned to the Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ) in late 2016.
"The State is analyzing the opportunities, seeing how
it can use the Administrative City. But it is a fact that with the new
legislation in process in Brasilia, which brings the legalization of gaming
linked to the obligation of future operators to build resort with a minimum
volume of apartments and romos, interested investors begin to appear in Brazil
and, some of them, even talked to me, "said Castello Branco.
According to Codemig’s president, these foreign investors asked "if it
could be a possibility buying the
complex of the Administrative City to install a real resort with casino, show área
and hotels," said Castello Branco, who added that they already have even
plans of how the space would be occupied.
The Minas and Gerais buildings could be turned into hotels. The Tiradentes
Palace, with four floors, could be use as a casino area. The Alterosa Building,
which is an annex, could house the area of infrastructure and support. With 4,000
square meters and capacity of 490 seats, the JK Auditorium would be another
space used.
"What I am saying is what came to us at Codemig. It was not an initiative
that we took or went looking for. There we were investors that contacted the
State to know if this project could be considered and the posible next steps. The
answer was: First, The State of Minas Gerais that owns it; and secondly, wait
to see the final legislation on gaming. But it is a real hypothesis, a real
plan,” said Codemig’s president.
One of the highlights of the potential investors was the location of the
Administrative City, near the Tancredo Neves International Airport, in Confins.
"They say that many of the users and regulars of these resorts take a
plane, go to the casino and then go back to the airport, and they do not even
go to the city. Play and be close to airports,” he said.
Still according to Castello Branco, these investors are American and mainly
Spanish, who have much experience in this type of business. "I have also heard,
even with no contact with us, about the interest of investors from the United
Arab Emirates, that they would be checking this possibility. But the initial
contact we had is from Spanish and American groups that know about the
operation of resorts and resorts with gaming," he concluded.
Source: GMB / Hoje em Dia
