MACAU casino mogul Stanley Ho Hung-sun and top gambling tour operator David Chow Kam-fai have teamed up to propose a $600 million 'entertainment wharf' complete with a man-made volcano spewing artificial lava.
Sources familiar with the joint venture said the project would cover an area of about 100,000 square metres. The project site covers a bay that still requires reclamation in the Outer Harbour.
They said the project - between the jetfoil pier and the Macau Cultural Centre - could be completed in less than two years. It was hoped construction would begin before the end of the year.
According to preliminary plans, the wharf will be modelled on similar amusement facilities overseas.
Apart from an artificial volcano, the area is planned to include gambling venues, a commercial centre, a string of theme restaurants, bars, a 350-metre jetty, a disco for up to 4,000 revellers, a mock medieval castle and a traditional Chinese fishing village complete with a fleet of sampans serving as seafood restaurants.
Mr Chow - who runs VIP gaming rooms and tours for gamblers and is also a directly elected legislator - originally planned to launch a 'Fishermen's Wharf' project. But after Mr Ho announced this year he was planning a similar project, they decided to team up.
Mr Ho, 78, is managing director of the casino monopoly company Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macau (STDM). Mr Chow, 49, owns a host of gambling-related and property development businesses.