THE Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality has approved a site permit for a Tinian casino restaurant, suites and ferry ticketing booth, Variety learned.
Bridge Investment Group or BIG said it is investing $16 million on the casino-ferry construction project and has plans to hire 98 employees on its opening.
“I am glad to see that BIG has met the requirements of the permitting regulations,” Commonwealth Ports Authority Chairwoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds said.
Given the location of the project, CPA’s goal has always been to ensure that necessary infrastructure is built to protect the integrity of the adjacent beach and Tinian’s coastal resources, King-Hinds said.
“We believe that building a waste treatment facility will ensure that Jones Beach, which is a place of celebration for both community and tourists, remains pristine and safe to enjoy,” she added.
But King-Hinds noted that although the permit has been approved, no paperwork has come out of BECQ.
Last year, BIG was ordered to stop its casino construction after it failed to secure a proper permit from BECQ or CPA.
Under its lease agreement with CPA, BIG was authorized to build a ferry terminal only. The agreement also requires that all structural improvements or renovations be approved by CPA.
CPA said BIG violated the lease agreement by converting the ferry terminal into a casino gaming facility, a restaurant and VIP rooms without a proper permit from BECQ.
BECQ, for its part, noted the lack of a disposal system at the project site. There was no sewer system in the area to accommodate a septic tank that BIG had to construct for the gaming facility, restaurant and VIP rooms.
At a public hearing on Feb. 4, 2021, BIG presented an amended development and business plan for the property it leased from CPA.
The proposal included a wastewater facility and the hiring of an environmental consulting firm to provide a compliance report for the entire project.
