The Imperial Pacific International hotel and casino building on April 3, 2025.
Photo by Emmanuel T. Erediano
THE Department of Public Works will inspect Imperial Pacific International’s unfinished hotel and casino building in Garapan.
Wary of earthquakes that have been reported in Asian countries over the last few days, DPW Secretary Ray N. Yumul on Wednesday notified Commonwealth Casino Commission Vice Chairman, Ralph S. Demapan that the department’s Building Safety Code inspectors will enter IPI’s facility for inspections.
Yumul said it is necessary to assess the existing condition of electrical, mechanical and standard components of the equipment at the building, and to verify its integrity as well as the welding connections of its metal components.
Yumul noted that the construction of the IPI hotel-casino has been stalled since 2021. He said the building’s structural parts, mechanical equipment, and electrical components may have been exposed to adverse weather conditions over the years, posing a risk to its safety.
He said the last inspection at IPI was performed on Dec. 27, 2023. A safety inspection, he added, “is significant to identify the critical areas that may need immediate attention to prevent serious disasters from occurring and to protect life and property.”
IPI operated a casino on Saipan for four years until the Covid-19 pandemic forced its closure in March 2020.
On April 19, 2024, IPI filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing over $165.8 million in debts. Chapter 11 allows corporations to restructure while continuing operations.
