if
it's about Cardiff..
Sport, Entertainment, Transportation, Business,
Development Projects, Leisure, Eating, Drinking,
Nightlife, Shopping, Train Spotting! etc.. then we want it here!
Seeing what it replaced it is much better but i do get what you are saying, its just too much of a box. I think the idea though is that it directs people into town via Cambrian road, which makes the new station all the more unnecessary as its further away than the old one!
Why do they always have to use the word exciting...
Come and see our exciting new menu...
Come and look at our exciting new bus route...
Come and visit our exciting new development
Perhaps the people who write this really need to understand they are using exciting in the wrong context. Certainly it doesn’t excite me at all.
I agree with you there there about the proliferation of "exciting" to spice up that rather mundane subject matter(Oh no, I agree with Jantra about something! shoot me now! )
Off-topic, but related is the inappropriate use of "professional" on certain items. A "Braun Oral B Professional Toothbrush" - seriously!? Teeth brushing is apparently a skill and profession? Who knew?
And don't get be started on the inappropriate use of the word "luxury". I saw a "Luxury BlueTooth Headset". Ah! Such pure luxury, wearing that headset and earpiece stuck in your ear, no doubt(!)
What next, I fully expect to see "Luxury Pile Cream".
Bit of insider knowledge for you. It was mentioned in the recent staff general meeting that Admiral did attempt to purchase the Rapport site to build the HQ, but could not agree a deal with the owners. I do wonder what was offered for the site and what the landowners actually wanted for it.
Also mentioned was the "green site" which was built on was originally planned for a mid-rise block of residential flats following the completion of SD2, however when the recession hit this was called off and the site was grassed over until it could be sold. Admiral were becoming frustrated with the negotiation over the rapport site and went with the current site once it became available.
Aren't the owners of Rapport quite big land blockers? The site mentioned looks awful and they must know it, it's a real shame. It's surely even more of a prime site now?
Move in date is now confirmed for last week in September, slightly ahead of schedule.
It will be a phased move over 13 weeks, and will involve moving 3000 people.
They are hoping to be finished with the move by Christmas.
Capital tower and the The Friary will be largely empty by Christmas.
Confused and the Law business will remain in their current locations in The Friary and Brunel House respectively. Everyone else is going in the new building. This is largely due to regulatory reasons as they are separate businesses.
In other news, Admiral have now started up the first comparison site Comparenow.com in the USA serving Virginia and California with plans to move into other states. People in he US don't use comparison sites to buy financial products and services so there is a huge market there waiting to be tapped. Could take off in a big way and everyone is VERY excited about it.
Aren\'t the owners of Rapport quite big land blockers? The site mentioned looks awful and they must know it, it\'s a real shame. It\'s surely even more of a prime site now?
They seem to be land-bankers. I think I'm right in saying they also own the surface car-parks opposite Atrium.
They are getting some income from both bits of land in the short-term (from the Rapport building and business and the car parks) which means they can probably avoid making rash decisions.
Neither sites are actually that prime though to be honest. The Adam Street site looks over the prison and what will be a building site for quite a w while (Capital Quarter). It may attract some more student housing, and could possibly be a location for further Glamorgan expansion in Cardiff. In some ways its a shame that the Cardiff and Vale college campus didn't go here.
And the Rapport site.. well, its a bit better. But its quite a big parcel of land and will probably need something mixed use to get it off the ground. Perhaps if Admiral need to expand, or if other firms want to base themselves nearby.. we could get some office demand. And perhaps at some point resi and hotel use could play a part.
The Land Securities site that was ultimately chosen by Admiral was actually probably a pretty hard sell. Why? Because of the great big ugly car park finished to a poor quality that sits right next to it. That would limit residential and hotel demand. So offices were probably the only way to go. And this meant they probably undercut what Rapport were willing to take, given that the Rapport site being a bit further away from the car park, is probably a bit more suitably to resi and hotel.
The only plans I can remember were for a hostel. I'm assuming you mean the site that had a church hall converted into a gym between the chapel and the oldish buildings on the south east corner of Charles Street? That was about 6 years ago and nothing has happened.
That tends to support RC's comments that this part of the city is not prime and why Rapport are happy to use the land as a surface car park which no doubt brings in a decent income whilst they wait for an upturn in land values.
Maybe 3/4 floors higher, a few commercial units on ground floor, maybe like an extension of Barack Lane and it can be a pincer movement on the Rapport site. Then rebuild Motorpoint Arena and put 35+ tower (with obligatory roof top bar and restaurant) where Harlech Court is and then you've got me where I live!!!!!
Wasn't that site going to be a YHA youth hostel at one point? They've struggled to make up their minds about a more central location in Cardiff for years. First this, now the Coal Exchange.. etc..
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