Boardwalk’s massive conference construction halfway

THE Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World has reached the halfway mark in its massive R1-billion upgrade, which will see a conference centre, hotel and spa situated centrally on the incredible Port Elizabeth beachfront esplanade.

“The completed development will put Nelson Mandela Bay in a new league when it comes to the meetings, conferences and in general, the business tourism industry,” said Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism marketing manager, Titus Chuene. “The Boardwalk’s upgrade epitomises integrated business and leisure and acknowledges the growing need for such services.”

The Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World has also committed itself to making sure green steps are taken during the construction phase.  When the development team moved onto the complex in 2011 they were immediately faced with two unique challenges before earth moving equipment could be brought in.  One involved the creation of a temporary arboretum for about 70 trees and several small plants that needed to be preserved. The other involved relocating the Koi fish from the lake at the Oriental Village, which had to be demolished to make way for the new hotel. 

“The fish survived the move and the trees are thriving and will be replanted in their permanent homes by December 2012,” said The Boardwalk general manager, Clifford Ngakane.

For the construction team, the scope of work during 2011 involved excavation for the underground parking and laying foundations for the convention centre and hotel.  Milestones included the refurbishment of the Magic Company area and the Bayside Pantry, as well as the conversion of the old conference area into a brand new smoking casino, which opened its doors in early December 2011.

“With the initial clearing and excavation process now completed, the next 12 months will reveal many changes at the complex as the new multi-purpose convention centre and the five-star hotel begins to rise from the ground and becomes clearly visible,” added Ngakane.

The new-look Boardwalk will include a 140-key 5-star hotel with its own health spa, fitness centre and heated pool, an international-standard, multi-purpose convention centre, a new smoking casino, the latest gaming machines, more retail shops, an 874-bay parkade under the new convention centre and hotel, and the Boardwalk Multimedia Lake Spectacular, the largest musical water extravaganza South Africa has ever seen. During the next quarter, development will focus on the upgrade and reconfiguration of the main non-smoking casino floor, the Salon Prive and the new Action Bar.

To date, the project has used:

• 24,570 cubic meters of concrete, equal to roughly 500 domestic swimming pools with a 50 000 litre capacity.
• 9,100 square meters of plastering, enough to cover over 11 tennis courts.
• 4,050 tons of reinforcing
• 10,450 square meters of brickwork
• 51,700 square meters of formwork areas
• 2.5 km subsoil drainage pipes
• 18 manholes