The Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World is marking its coming of age on Saturday October 2, and in the past 21 years has welcomed millions of visitors.
“The Boardwalk has provided incredible entertainment, happiness, education, laughter and fun to the city’s residents, as well as visitors from around the country and around the globe,” Boardwalk GM Tati Tsunke said.
The complex was developed at a cost of R533m, creating 1,800 direct and 4,160 indirect jobs during construction, which began in October 1999.
A year later, on October 2 2000, The Boardwalk opened its doors at 9am with more than 18,000 people standing in line to enter the casino.
Within just a month, the Boardwalk produced two millionaires — a sales representative from Lorraine, who won R1,027,947, and R1,054,479 to a Graaff-Reinet plumber who had played just R22 on a one-armed bandit machine.
On the eve of the Boardwalk’s 10th birthday, the Eastern Cape Gambling and Betting Board awarded the complex a 15-year exclusivity licence.
Today it remains the only licensed casino in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Memorable events included unveiling, in 2012, the world’s biggest birthday card — measuring 5m by 6m — for the Eastern Cape region’s most famous son, Nelson Mandela, on his 94th birthday.
“With the sod-turning for the new R500m Boardwalk Mall having taken place in May, we are excitedly awaiting the beginning of a new era for this vital piece of real estate.”
The redevelopment, extension and upgrade of the Boardwalk Precinct, which will more than double its retail space to 23,000m² and see the addition of an apartment hotel complex, is the first phase of a 17ha redevelopment that is strategically, economically and socially significant for the city and region.
In partnership with Flanagan & Gerard, Boardwalk Mall will offer 80 stores and access to many brands.
“We are on track for the opening of the mall’s first phase in March 2022, with the completion of the second phase in the third quarter of the year,” Tsunke said.
HeraldLIVE
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