Brit wants to turn old casino into an entertainment center

The old Cebu Casino will be converted into a Hollywood-style entertainment center that promises to bring more jobs to Cebuanos.

The grand entertainment house will employ more than 300 positions once it fully operates before the year ends.

 Chris Karageorges, chairman of Don Christo Inc., yesterday presented the floor plan and proposed interior design of the entertainment plaza that DCI sets to establish.

Three months ago, Karageorges, a British national, took over the one-hectare old casino in Nivel Hills, Lahug, Cebu City that was once operated by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) since the ‘90s.

The place will be converted into a Hollywood-style disco house with a tropical garden and multi-functional hall convertible to a venue that would fit for all kinds of gatherings.

It could accommodate 8,000 customers from the restaurant garden to the main hall.

The landscaping of the tropical garden has started last week covering 2,500 square meters.

The garden alone would cost almost P8 million, said DCI vice president Jose Gloria.

Gloria said the overall cost for the renovation is not yet determined because they are still open to deals with other companies wanting to be part of DCI.

But Karageorges earlier said the company is willing to invest $8 million for the business, adding it will be the only one of its kind in Cebu.

Gloria said they seek to cater people from all social strata because they intend to make the center affordable to everybody.

With the increasing number of tourists in Cebu, Gloria said it would be timing for the company to venture into this kind of business.

Gloria said they would not alter the building’s structural design anymore but changes will be made of the interior design.

DCI management team is already working for the approval of the renovation and business permits at the Cebu City Hall to speed up the renovation.

 DCI is currently hiring people for different positions which will be needed when the entertainment plaza operates in December. — Jessica Ann Pareja/LPM