I dont agree that any interaction at Celestias location with the waterside would be viable and hence why it was not factored into the development i suppose. The cafe next to the co-op didnt last long and and dont think the latest application will last that long either, the sizable restaurant space in Scott Harbour has not reopened since it closed and there is no rush to fill the empty space at the bottom of Glow Works either. Maybe in the future there will be a need for these facilities when Porth Teigr is developed more, but then the thin sliver of land that Celestia occupies is probably not the best spot for a cafe or restaurant. The developments you mention as having good interaction with the waterfront are also similarly struggling to get occupiers, again this may change in the future, which i especially hope for the northern end of Atlantic Wharf.
I think if you take Celestia as a development to extend the bays availability of services then i agree it does not do this, but then this skips over nearly every other part of the bay towards it which similarly doesnt do this too, eg why doesn't Atradius have better street interaction, why doesn't Adventures Quay have better street interaction etc.
As a development of apartments it does pretty well, the under croft parking is secure and the majority of apartments have at least once space that you dont need to walk out into the rain for, the apartments take advantage of the beautiful views and have a nice communal garden. There is little noise or disturbance from surroundings and despite the exterior issues with the developer, the interiors are well kept and refurbished with a more luxurious feel than a lot of apartment developments.
I really cant see why the animosity to this development, its not meant to, and never was meant to be a leisure detonation, it was meant to be an apartment development, what is it so wrong that it does not incorporate waterside interaction? I dont see how this location should warant it when there is no current demand in this area/or at least no market demand to get development going and businesses moving in.
Celestia isnt perfect by any means, but as an apartment development to live in it has a lot going for it, the bigest issue is the external appearance which is taking forever to get resolved, the recent repainting of the Waterquater shows how lovely these developments looks once painted and refreshed, and i cant wait for this to happen to Celestia (and it has a cream coloured exterior not grey
)
For me the biggest crimes go to Century Wharf, completely gated with no access to the riverside, no retail or amenities at all and many of the apartments have poor views and little usable outside space, it is also 5 minutes walk from Mermaid Quay, except it is the other side from Celestia.