Dubai: Saturday marks a year after the New Year’s Eve fire at The Address Downtown Dubai hotel and developer Emaar has set a mid-2017 reopening time for its flagship hospitality project, Gulf News has learnt.
In the late hours of December 31, fire broke out in the 63-storey tower amid the festivities of Dubai’s iconic New Year fireworks display at the neighbouring Burj Khalifa. An electrical short-circuit on a spotlight was the cause of the fire, investigation by Dubai Police revealed.
Within three days after the fire, Emaar had vouched to restore the hotel to its glory. In April, the group announced that the fire-hit project will not reopen this year.
“Our goal is to open The Address Downtown Dubai hotel mid-2017,” an Emaar spokesperson on Thursday said in a statement issued in response to questions sent by Gulf News.
While the hotel’s website states that “preliminary work is already under way to reopen the hotel and to restore the project to its glory using the best in design, quality and technology”, the spokesperson confirmed that preliminary works have already been completed.
“We have appointed Dutco Balfour Beatty LLC, a leader in the construction and engineering sector of the region with strong international expertise, to manage the project. We are working with them closely on all aspects of the development. Preliminary works have been completed, and the company has now commenced work on the internal structure,” the spokesperson explained.
The spokesperson added that Emaar has also appointed Meyer Davis, a globally recognised New York City design team, specialising in residential, hospitality and retail environments, to undertake the new interiors of the hotel.
