Deeply cynical. Big Russ knows his onions.

Actually I don't think he does. I don't think anyone really has a plan other than knock buildings down in the hope that someone will eventually build something marginally better. Repeat every 20 years or so. In the interim give press releases using a combination of the words gateway, exciting, hub, international, world class, exemplar, visionary, Europe's youngest capital, city of arcades, only 2hrs from London etc etc.

As a first step maybe Big Russ should erect a giant hoarding across Marland House facade and paste upon it pictures from the various documents/renders/artist impressions that have been drip fed to us over decades. Marland House gets a much needed face lift and council tax payers get a return on some of the consultants fees that have been spunked up the wall.

I'm beginning to slip, Jantraesque, into a slough of despond vis a vis our elected representatives ability to develop the city......

10 year project? I'll be shuffling onto a Cardiff tram from the new Central Square on my zimmer by the looks.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/cardiff-council-buy-up-buildings-5921299

Do you think the Council intend to knock down the Brewery?

Major news on the plans for Central Square (to be known as Capital Square): here or, if you need to copy and paste: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/capital-square-scheme-cardiff-takes-6106485

Sounds promising. Lets see some action on the ground

It is realy exciting to read yes, but how long before we see cranes on site working, thats when potential investers and occupiers will take interest..if the picture of the offices is anything like what will be built then it will be great for a key gateway into Cardiff...it will give the impression that Cardff is a modern, busy, well designed City...right now, this area around the station gives the exact opposite impression! its nice to see the plans moving along though...

It's promising that the Rightacres office scheme will be completed in 18 months, and it looks pretty good from the picture too.

Also interesting that Railtrack are planning improvements to Central from beyond the grave!

Ok now I'm confused - where's the needle gonna go?

But seriously - this does sound encouraging, but historically I shan't get to encouraged until at least the twin tower crane stage. IF this happens surely it'll be the start of total regeneration of the shameful embarrassment that is central square.

It does look promising, with the most promising bit actually being at the bottom of the article where there is potential for a company to relocate to Cardiff. Nice new offices are very welcome as we do have a lack of available good quality space, but up to now all I've heared about potential tenant wise is movements from one part of the city to the other. That is fine as it often brings with it more jobs at those existing companies or a further commitment to the city, but for this enterprise zone to be a true success we really need new employers to come to the city, or at least existing organisations to bring more of their operations here.

The offices look good as well, although the working title of Capital Square is a little odd, particulary when there's a Capital Quarter in the city as well. What was wrong with Central Square ? The first Rightacres building being called No 1 Central Square would have done the job.

What Kyle said, especially the bit about 1,000 back office jobs for a fs sector employer. If the WG bring this off then I will be prepared to eat some humble pie. It's not everything we need, but it shows they are at least talking to the right people (those evil capitalist bankers)

I hope the river frontage of teh offices will have at least a cafe for workers! other than that it looks ok, wont believe it until there are diggers on site.

http://www.stridetreglown.com/en/sectors/all-projects/238-public-a-community/1925-central-square,-cardiff.html

Interstng site but out of date

Very interesting, and i enjoyed the video, it would have been a great scheme (cant help but think the bus station is in the wrong place), also interesting to note it is pre Maldron hotel as it shows another building on that site.

While the video is clearly out of date (2011), it will be interesting to see if key features of the scheme pictured do become part of the plans currently in development, in particular the location of the bus station. We know the council have failed to secure the land where the NCP car park is, and that car park remains in the video. Given we now have a plan for the offices on the GN site, it does leave a question over where the bus station would be located. It could go behind (or on) the plot currently housing St Davids House, but the noises from the council about a truly integrate transport hub suggest it will be closer to the train station. So maybe the spot shown in the video will be a serious option, with a wrap around office in front of the car park and another stand alone office between the bus station and the new wrap around office, as show in the film?

having had a proper look at the website (iphone is no good at copying links from this site) it does look very good albeit it is out of date. If we end up with something like this then i'm pretty sure it will make our CBD offering that much better. Having a higher density CBD with a few talls in the area will provide some kudos.

I also think that now the council has the land behind St Davids House, couple of talls linkinng BT to Southgate house would provide a nice backdrop and give the feel of a closed, dense urban cityscape as soon as you exit the station.

This is exciting and October (IIRC) will see the planning app go in for the rightacre offices (which i'm sure is a rubber stamping exercise). so having workmmen on site should make it easier to sell the vision to other businesses looking to locate.

guys, does anyone now what the 'wave shaped' building is in the Title Picture above? it looks like an indoor ski slope but i dont think thats been started yet? cheers

no?....really? what a bloody disgrace!...lol....and there i was thinking it was the new ski-slope, bit of a blot on the ski line to say the very least...Thanks for that Lyndon

What could be primarily for public transport services and public realm face for Cardiff, including riverside access and vistas, and accommodating Millenium stadium crowds and 'leisure quarter' activities, is now to be business/profit oriented. What does one expect from Russell Goodway after the sell-out to business by Rodney Berman?
Doubtless a huge volume of car access for the offices, keeping the badly-sited m-s car park. In traffic terms it won't work, but the Planners will ignore that. Any decision of this strategic importance should be reserved for the LDP inquiry - what's the chances??

I imagine in the plan wood street will be pedestrianised with the route being round towards the stadium down to westage street. I reckon cars will have minimal access to Central Square (Capital Square) with the NCP being incorporated into the plans this would have a ready made car park so no need to incorporate cars into office developments.

Talk now of siting the new bus station south of the train station (see here).

An unamed city MP questions whether the site is large enough. A quick look on google maps would suggest that it's about the same site as the current one. Is that big enough?

I've always thought the southside car park could be turned into something mixed use, with a multi-story car park as part of it - one which serves the enlarged CS, as well as the train station.

I was thinking office space could feature, alongside retail (the amount of footfall there could easily sustain it I reckon).

An undercover bus station with a car park up top might also work. The station would have to be undercover which might give it a similar (capital city) feel to the one at Victoria.

The presence of thousands of bus passengers each day would also make any retail space even more attractive, assuming there'd be room for it in the development of course.

IMO any development south of the train station should involve the removal of Brains beer to free up space, i think this is the best place for the bus station as its more accessible to the rudamentary one way system we have in Cardiff. There would still be plenty of places for a car park north of the station.

The south side car park actually looks slightly bigger than the current arrangement (which in my opinion is rather wasteful).
Could easily be developed to include a bus and coach station, with Multistory car park beside it - if Brains do vacate their site then even more room to play with, but I wouldn't say them leaving is vital to development of this area.

Has there been any news on the Rightacres development at Wood Street since the planning application went in ? Didn't it go in sometime in October ?

Impatient I know but I just want to see some diggers and cranes on site !

Paul

According to some who post on here central square is fitting for the extremely wealthy city they think Cardiff is. Everyone else with common sense understands differently - Cardiff doesn't have a pot to pish in

Cardiff's consultation on the Alternative Sites Register is about to start 11th February 2014 to 25th March 2014.

We're looking forward to see what the Council itself now proposes. Will they put forward the rear of the Rail Station for a Bus Station instead of the Central Square proposal and with what justification? If they don't put any proposals for that site - or updated proposals for the Central Sq site - they'll be giving the LDP two-fingers; who's ready to help raise an "almighty row"?

The Council (planners) allowed the Council ('major projects' developers) to give minimal detail last time, without the sustainability assessment required of others. Will the planners try to behave impartially this time?

The Council says it welcomes our views on the Alternative Sites - but won't listen to anything on sites that are not proposed. The Alternative Sites Register is available at: www.cardiff.gov.uk/localdevelopmentplan

The bus station location, although important obviously, is an irrelevance to the first two offices going up.

I was just wondering if anyone knows if the planning application has been approved. One Capital Square was planned to be finished by Spring 2015 ''subject to consent' if I remember rightly.

Of course, we've seen plan after plan on this specific site over the years so I'm under no illusions, but it would be a real boost for the whole scheme if they could get a bloody move on. I know it was on the shortlist for the Legal and General relocation, so they could be waiting on the outcome of that, although there's been plenty of talk over L&G moving for years so even that might amount to nothing.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one and I'm also hoping for a start soon on two schemes (student housing and the next office block) at Tyndall Street. I'm less optimistic on anything happening this year at Callaghan Square South and the office that is meant to be going up there, mainly because we have both CC and WAG involved in negotiations on that site.

I'm trying to be optimistic at the moment, god knows why....where did I put those pills ?