Casino operator NagaCorp is offering the world an updated view of the proposed mega-expansion of its flagship Cambodian property, while furloughed staff angle for pay rises once play resumes.

This week, the Chicago-based architecture firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) unveiled new images of Naga 3, NagaCorp’s proposed $3.5b expansion of its flagship NagaWorld casino in Phnom Penh. The plans, first announced one year ago last month, have undergone significant revision since then, including a reduction from five hotel towers to three.

However, SOM emphasized that one of the three remaining towers will be “a commanding emblem in the skyline, and the highest point” in the city. As a result, Naga3 “will be the most important landmark for the city in the years to come,” especially given NagaCorp recently extended its Phnom Penh casino monopoly until 2046.

NagaWorld is currently closed, along with most other Phnom Penh businesses, on the order of Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen to minimize further transmission of the COVID-19 coronavirus. While between 20-30% of staff — mostly hotel and security — have been deemed essential and continue to show up for work, thousands of other Naga employees stand idle and worrying about their ability to survive depending on how long the casino remains shuttered.