Construction on the $1.2 billion UMUSIC Broadwater hotel complex in Biloxi, Mississippi – the first of Universal Music Group‘s recently announced “music-based experiential hotel properties” – will commence next year and will be completed in 2023.
UMG revealed earlier this month that it’s launching a series of hotels as part of a previously announced joint venture with entertainment impact investment group, Dakia U-Ventures.
The new construction timeline was announced by Robert Lavia, Chairman at Dakia U-Ventures LLC, at a press conference in Mississippi last week, where he said that entertainment for guests at the 266 acre property will include virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and holograms.
UMUSIC Broadwater will also have a 12,000-capacity music venue.
UMUSIC Broadwater in Biloxi, Mississippi is first of three locations for the hotel series, with other locations to be announced for Atlanta, Georgia and Orlando, Florida. There are also plans for additional locations across the US and globally.
Also peaking at the press conference in Biloxi last week was Biloxi Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich, who suggested that the hotel project is “the largest tourism project proposed in Mississippi”.
The works will create 1,000 construction jobs and 2,500 permanent jobs.
Lavia added that the new hotel complex will serve “as a creative hub for people [in] the creative arts industries”, in addition to housing incubator programs “to support engineers, digital startups and the music industry, as well as other aspiring entrepreneurs looking to create a career in the music and entertainment space”.
Speaking at the press conference last week, Robert Lavia, Chairman at Dakia U-Ventures LLC, said: “Our intention is to create a world-class facility to bring some of the greatest talent both regionally and internationally and act as a platform for local talent to kick off their careers.
“We’ll be working with schools and the community for exploration and discovery of these local talents from musicians to songwriters to engineers to video production and more. We’re just not a tourist destination but a producer of new and authentic talent and content.
“Wherever you look, you’ll be wowed.”
Robert Lavia, Dakia U-Ventures
Added Lavia: “We have transcended across the most difficult times in history, from World War One to World War Two and many other global crises. We believe as a global community we shall overcome [the pandemic] and this project becomes particularly important, [as] it becomes a catalyst to reignite the community through the arts and the surrounding businesses in the region.
“We’ll be prepared by using the most state-of-the-art technologies, not just for the entertaining our guests, from virtual reality to augmented reality to artificial intelligence and holograms and much more. Wherever you look, you’ll be wowed.
“We’ll also be focusing on the security and using all the latest protocols for whatever the next pandemic could be. We will be prepared. Before you ask me when do we start this exciting project let me answer that our investor developer bars are committed to start in 2021 and finalize sometime in 2023.”Music Business Worldwide
