Golden Mile hotspot gets a R1.6bn facelift

Enough electrical cabling to go from Durban to Port Shepstone was used as part of the R1.6bn refurbishment of Durban entertainment hotspot Suncoast.

On top of this, 1.9 million bricks were used, and the size of the redeveloped sea-facing property - officially launched on Thursday night - has increased to 48,012m², the equivalent of five rugby fields.

These figures were released by the property's owners, Tsogo Sun, on Thursday.

Glenn Joseph, COO of Tsogo Sun Gaming, said: "Tsogo Sun has spent over R4bn on casino and hotel refurbishments in the past five years, R1.6bn of which has been invested into Suncoast in the last 24 months.

"It has been the bulk of our capital expenditure focus and is testament to our confidence in South Africa and in Durban in particular."

When it was originally constructed in 2002 at a cost of R1.4bn, the Suncoast development represented the biggest single investment on Durban’s beachfront.

Suncoast’s redevelopment project – which includes a floor-to-ceiling refurbishment of the entire property, the addition of seven new restaurants, three retail outlets, increased casino space, a newly located Salon Privé with 180-degree sea views, a Barnyard Theatre, a multi-purpose event venue and increased underground parking – has added 8,000 square metres of space to the Golden Mile.

THE DEVELOPMENT IN NUMBERS:

• 1,913,513 bricks;
• 5,719 bags of cement;
• 1,850 slots;
• 9,347m² of carpet laid - which could have covered 36 tennis courts;
• 68,959 litres of paint - which could have filled 450 bath tubs; and
• 129km of electrical cabling, the distance from Durban to Port Shepstone on the KZN South Coast.