Megaproject for 1.5 billion Euros Metropolis has got a planning study, which  will be submitted by the developer TriGranit to the state and municipal authorities to respond. The Mayor of Bratislava considers the proportion of facilities specialised in gambling in this project to be exaggerated, but still the only partner in the poly functional project Metropolis  is an American company Harrah's, whose  casino - by the way the largest in Europe, is meant to be the heart of the whole project. Harrah's has also said that they will not build the complex without the casinos and announced that management is already discussing a cooperation with the top operators of aqua parks in Budapest who would like to join the complex.

The project will have three phases: in the first phase should be constructed hotels with casinos, aqua park and shopping centre, in phase two the aqua park and casinos should be expanded, in the third would be added the conference centre, golf courses, leisure and sport facilities, hotels and apartments for temporary and permanent living.

Conference centre with over 76 thousand square meters floor area will be the largest in Slovakia and should gain part of the congress business from the overloaded Vienna. Casinos should lie on more than 27 thousand m2, what will be nearly twice the size as the current size of all casinos in Slovakia together.

Trigranit company has suggested in negotiations with the new district administrator of Bratislava Pavol Freš relocation of the planned multifunctional hall and aqua park from the edge of Petrzalka to Metropolis, he is reportedly in favour of this idea.

Developer suggests solutions in the architectural study which require a change to the zoning plan of Bratislava and this amendment must be approved by Bratislava city council. Besides, public tender will be held  apparently  for adequately attractive architectural design. Construction is planned to start at latest in 2011 even given the plans of Austrian and American investors on a similar project by Hungarian Bezenye.

G. Zászlós, head of Slovak TriGranit points out that the project will not only bring investments and work in the building industry but also high income from tourism, services and lots of jobs. TriGranit is ready to negotiate with the local community and also contribute financially to public services, roads and so on.

Metropolis is about to be the biggest project of its kind in Central Europe and because of this project in autumn the Slovak government has initiated reducing taxation of large casinos in recreational projects and introduced regressive tax

Article summary "they want to build Metropolis in 2011", by Peter Kremský

TRENDreality.sk, on 15.1.2010

http://reality.etrend.sk/realitny-biznis/metropolis-chcu-stavat-2011.html