Montecasino's R335 million expansion - the Montecasino Lifestyle Expansion - has started in the north eastern corner of the existing complex. This project will be in keeping with Montecasino's Tuscan village theme and will include an outdoor Italian-style piazza, Montecasino Piazza, capable of hosting 4 000 people, a 1 900-seat lyric theatre, a 180-room hotel, a 1 400m2 function facility, five new restaurants, and additional parking.
Ron Stringfellow, Chief Executive, Tsogo Sun Group, says that the Montecasino complex has exceeded expectations and is attracting about eight million visitors a year, making it the most visited entertainment destination in the province.
Jabu Mabuza, Managing Director of Tsogo Sun Gaming, believes that this new development - 37 800m2 scheduled for completion by the end of 2006 - is essential to ensure that Montecasino's full offering remains vibrant and aligned to the highest expectations of both local and international visitors: "Montecasino as it currently stands was always planned as the first phase of the multi-faceted complex. Customer demand has driven the need for this expansion, which broadens the appeal to a wider visitor base and fulfils our vision to enhance a world-class development with additional attractions that will place not only Montecasino, but also Johannesburg, firmly on the local and international tourist's 'must see, must do' list."
The new hotel under Southern Sun's new hotel brand - SunSquare - is targeted at the modern business tourist. It looks onto the Piazza, and features Italian theming in its public areas.
SunSquare is an "economy plus" brand that targets the upper tier of economy guests in South Africa. The hotel will also have its own stylish and contemporary restaurant.
The 1 900-seat lyric theatre called The Montecasino Teatro, has been designed under the direction of renowned international theatre consultant and president of the Society of London Theatre, Martin McCallum, who has designed many of the world's leading theatres, to ensure that it meets the highest standards for world-class live shows.
The theatre, which represents an investment of about R90 million, is designed to ensure a unique, quality experience for the theatre patron - from easy access, appropriate facilities, an auditorium with comfortable seating with every seat guaranteed a good line of site of the stage, and complementary entertainment and restaurant facilities in the complex, to excellent lighting and acoustics, and technological stage innovations.
An additional 1 000 parking bays are included in the new development to make provision for the additional footfall that the new facilities will create, as well as ease up traffic congestion by changing the traffic channelling and opening up two previously inactivated entrances for the public.
To ensure that Montecasino's impact on the area continues to be positive, in-depth environmental impact studies and noise pollution studies were commissioned by Tsogo Sun and were conducted before the new plans were approved.
Montecasino contributes significantly to the province's revenue, including R4 million a year on rates and taxes and an approximate R100 million each year on gaming levies and taxes, which represents a high percentage of Gauteng's total income of R372 million in gambling and betting taxes (these taxes make up about 24% of the province's income).
