As reported by: BBC
Scotland's first casino resort is set to be built in Glasgow as part of a £562m development on the banks of the River Clyde.

The redevelopment will take place on the site of the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) in the city.

Preferred bidder Kerzner International will put the £162m casino in place by mid-2007 to coincide with a relaxation in the UK's gambling laws.

It will boast 1,250 slot machines, 50 tables and a 150-room luxury hotel.

The development, at the east end of the 64-acre site, will also include restaurants, bars and leisure facilities, a 1,600 space car park and employ 1,200 full-time staff

Urban Village

At the same time Glasgow-based developer Elphinstone will transform the western end of the SECC into a £350m sustainable urban village.

Subject to planning consent, work on the village could begin as early as next year with completion expected by 2011.

The development will provide housing, a primary school, nursery and mini-supermarket with a proposed new £50m, 12,500-seat arena also in the pipeline.

A total of 1,500 residential properties will be built, made up of family homes and one, two and three-bedroom flats.

The joint development will be known as the QD2 Project to mark the second redevelopment of Queens Dock on the north bank of the River Clyde - the first being the construction of the SECC in 1985.

Kerzner International chief executive Tobin Prior said: "This project has the potential to become an exemplar of the successful integration of leisure, business and entertainment.

"This appointment is an important step for us and we look forward to working with Glasgow in their efforts to regenerate parts of the city."

Elphinstone chief executive Kenneth Ross added: "The creation of a new distinctive family community is a wonderful development for the future of Glasgow."

SECC group chief executive Mike Closier said Kerzner, the group behind South Africa's Sun City and other ventures in the US, Bahamas and Dubai, was one of the world's most innovative casino developers and operators.

He also explained how Elphinstone's project would help build a sustainable community which will become part of the fabric of the SECC and the local community.

Mr Closier said: "The real beauty of the development is that it makes riverside living in a burgeoning community affordable."

Glasgow City Council leader Charlie Gordon added: "The SECC already offers exhibition, conference and entertainment facilities unrivalled on a single site anywhere in the UK and the addition of the new arena and resort casino helps confirm SECC's position as a leading venue in Europe."

Steven McGarva, project director for Scottish Enterprise, added: "The redevelopment and regeneration of the Clyde is a major priority for Scottish Enterprise and these proposals create a new kind of integrated leisure complex that will have a major impact on Glasgow and its surrounding areas."