KO OLINA, HI — It’s been a long time coming but it looks like the new Atlantis project in Ko Olina, Hawaii is going ahead, as the resort best known for its iconic coral pink towers in the Bahamas continues its worldwide expansion in destinations as diverse as Dubai and China.

According to Hawaii News Now, the deal has been confirmed with reports Atlantis’ Ko Olina property will be similar to Atlantis Dubai, with a shark habitat, rooms with aquarium views and more. The resort’s high-end neighbours will include Disney’s Aulani and the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina.

Atlantis announced plans for the Ko Olina development as far back as 2005 but the project has languished in development for more than a decade. A proposed casino was apparently one point of contention. Estimated costs put the Altantis Ko Olina project at US$2 billion.