CARDIFFWALESMAP

f o r u m

if it's about Cardiff..
Sport, Entertainment, Transportation, Business,
Development Projects, Leisure, Eating, Drinking,
Nightlife, Shopping, Train Spotting! etc..
then we want it here!


City Centre
:: You Tube :: FLICKR :: Cardiff Bay :: CCFC Stadium :: Cardiff Sports Village :: Wales Map :: brought to you by... PR Design and Print

 

 

CardiffWalesMap
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
Historic buildings in the bay

What's to be done about them? I walked around there not so long ago and there truly are some fine architectural delights. Unfortunately many seem unused or at least underused or falling into disrepair. What can be done about this? Cardiff Metropolitan University have recently moved from Colchester Avenue but I doubt they would want it. It's too far from most student accomodation. So what about the Welsh government? There is talk of them leaving Cathays Park and this would provide office space nearer the Senedd. What about Cardiff Council? Again this seems reasonable and there's talk of them selling up in Atlantic Wharf. Either of those options sounds decent and in these times of austerity, could it e done cheaply? I can't see how a new build in Callaghan Sq would be better for the council unless they really feel they need to be nearer the city centre. Or perhaps the bbc? There's been talk of them leving Llandaff and they've got the studios in Roath Basin now. Would it be plush enough for auntie though

Personally I think government and council offices would be best. A kind of mini-welsh Whitehall. Is this in any way credible?

Re: Historic buildings in Mermaid Quay

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Isn't this a better heading to your thread?

Mermaid Quay is not The Bay is not Mermaid Quay

Re: Historic buildings in Mermaid Quay

I thought Mermaid Quay was just the shitty new builds full of restaurants, something separate to the Mount Stuart Square area which I guess the first post is referring to. But equally the old unused building by the barrage Penarth side could also fit into the category of historic buildings.

Re: Historic buildings in Mermaid Quay

Re-read the first post on this thread. Do you really think the poster was referring to Penarth!? I will accept Mount Stuart Square but, equally, that is not 'The Bay'.

Re: Historic buildings in Mermaid Quay

Okay then, Butetown. Will that do? I'm thinking of places like the Coal Exchange, although I wonder if that particular building is past the point of no return sadly. But you know what I mean!

Re: Historic buildings in Mermaid Quay

Don't moan at me for your ambiguity!

Re: Historic buildings in Mermaid Quay

I think the problem with the old buildings is their unsuitability for many modern occupiers. They tend to be expensive to run due to poor energy efficiency and high maintenance costs and they tend to be poorly arranged with too many small offices, and even when knocked through the floor plates are often a bit pokey. Employers, both in the public and private sector, are increasingly going for larger open plan floor plates so that they can fit more people per square feet, and to help with collaborative working. That is something that the large buildings at Whitehall often now offer (following extensive remodelling) but not something that can be provided for at Mount Stuart Square. You'd need to use pretty much all the buildings around the square and most of the Coal Exchange to house the Council. This would be inefficient with people having to go between buildings too frequently, and the individual buildings poorly configured for modern working.

The buildings are more suited to small occupiers who want a couple of thousand square feet, or middle-size occupiers who perhaps want up to 20 thousand square feet. Unfortunately this is the same market that many more modern, more flexible developments are also chasing.

Another option is conversion to residential or hotel or mixed use (with a small element of office space for the small occupiers). I just don't think large scale office use is a starter at the moment.

Re: Historic buildings in Mermaid Quay

It's a shame, I had thought about hotels as a possibility. I do notice a fair number of charities headquartered in those sorts of buildings nowadays. Making them energy efficient would I presume be pretty expensive as would converting them to residential use or indeed hotels.

Re: Historic buildings in Mermaid Quay

I've always though that the Merchants Quarter should have been a posh hotel and casino to bring a little Monaco glamour to the bay, what with an Opera House across the road en all. Then Bellway had to go and slap those flats across from it made out of surplus brick, wood and metal.

I really wish all the derelict old building in the city centre and the bay had been restored before the bubble burst. Hat's off to anyone who wants to take them on, BTW when is work on the Penarth Marine Hotel starting???

Re: Historic buildings in Mermaid Quay

The inactivity of the 'Merchants Quarter' project is particularly disappointing.

It has been over 5 years since the hoardings went up, yet nothing has happened.

There are no signs of any real redevelopment.

The red brick section facing the WMC would have been ideal for Wetherspoons - who are one of the only co's that I know of who regularly invest in older buildings.

In addition,the Hilton hotel aspect of the project appears to have stalled.

Re: Historic buildings in Mermaid Quay

Sickofthehype
Re-read the first post on this thread. Do you really think the poster was referring to Penarth!? I will accept Mount Stuart Square but, equally, that is not 'The Bay'.



it would appear that most knew what was meant was the OP referred to the Bay. i certainly envisaged MQ over to MSq and the immediate environs. Perhaps inner harbour and immediate hinterland would be a better description but that's what people generally mean when they reference 'Bay'

Re: Historic buildings in Mermaid Quay

Jantra
Sickofthehype
Re-read the first post on this thread. Do you really think the poster was referring to Penarth!? I will accept Mount Stuart Square but, equally, that is not 'The Bay'.



it would appear that most knew what was meant was the OP referred to the Bay. i certainly envisaged MQ over to MSq and the immediate environs. Perhaps inner harbour and immediate hinterland would be a better description but that's what people generally mean when they reference 'Bay'


Therein lies the problem! What you understood the OP to be referring to is simply NOT the Bay!! Mermaid Quay and its immediate environs is NOT 'The Bay'. If that is what "people generally mean when they reference 'Bay'" then they are wrong. That is the point I was trying to highlight. Otherwise, why not delete "Penarth" and simply put "Cardiff". It's near enough.

Re: Historic buildings in Mermaid Quay

My understanding of the colloquil definition of 'The Bay' is Mermaid Quay to the BBC studios to St Davids Hotel, and stretching back from there to the railway station, and thus including Mount Stuart Square etc.

However, The Sports Village overlooks the Bay, the barrage overlooks the Bay and the Customhouse in Penarth overlooks the Bay, and I generally view all of these as being in 'Cardiff Bay', and should be marketed as, or considered as such..ie, the Devils new arena could well be called 'Cardiff Bay Arena' and I think the existing tent that the play in does currently bear that name.

Re: Historic buildings in Mermaid Quay

Sickofthehype
Jantra
Sickofthehype
Re-read the first post on this thread. Do you really think the poster was referring to Penarth!? I will accept Mount Stuart Square but, equally, that is not 'The Bay'.



it would appear that most knew what was meant was the OP referred to the Bay. i certainly envisaged MQ over to MSq and the immediate environs. Perhaps inner harbour and immediate hinterland would be a better description but that's what people generally mean when they reference 'Bay'


Therein lies the problem! What you understood the OP to be referring to is simply NOT the Bay!! Mermaid Quay and its immediate environs is NOT 'The Bay'. If that is what "people generally mean when they reference 'Bay'" then they are wrong. That is the point I was trying to highlight. Otherwise, why not delete "Penarth" and simply put "Cardiff". It's near enough.


you are correct, there is no such thing as 'Bay', it is a marketing man's wet dream. you are quite correct to suggest it is the docks, Tremorfa, splott and Adamsdown.

urbano/mr ad hominem/whatever you're calling yourself - you really don't half split hairs.

CARDIFFWALESMAP - FORUM