CardiffWalesMap

Planning application is out: https://planningonline.cardiff.gov.uk/o ... ab=summary

It actually looks a bit better than in those initial images, to be fair. The materials look okay and the shape is a lot more interesting in the angles they show in the documents. It certainly looks good inside!

The master plan also looks pretty good!

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/loca ... t-23407458

Looks like this has been approved, work due to start later this year!

Excellent news! Great to see this scheme rapidly progressing. Looks like they have really thought through the master-planning of the scheme and integration with transport. I wonder if this will nudge them into completing the eastern link road?

Looking forward to the new arena being finished.
The Motorpoint was outdated pretty much as soon as it opened.
It's managed to punch above it's weight over the years though, despite competitors like the MEN, O2, wembley arena, NEC...offering 2 or 3 times the capacity.

The usual Wales Online moaners - "it will need taxpayers money to bail it out, just like everything else in Cardiff".
Do these people ever think before they write something ?

There doesn't seem to be any replacement for the IMAX cinema in the masterplan, although it did mention somewhere a bigger better Red Dragon replacement.

It would be disappointing if another IMAX wasn't built, as it's the only one in Wales, I believe.

oldishDevil wrote:There doesn't seem to be any replacement for the IMAX cinema in the masterplan, although it did mention somewhere a bigger better Red Dragon replacement.

It would be disappointing if another IMAX wasn't built, as it's the only one in Wales, I believe.

With Vue, Cineworld, Premiere and now Everyman there's certainly some choice in and around the centre and Bay. As you say, the IMAX is a USP for Odeon in Cardiff so hopefully they can find another site.

I thought the masterplan included a replacement for the Odeon site. However, there are a lot of cinema screens in and around Cardiff so it’s a very competitive, if not over-saturated, market. Odeon might have concluded that it’s not worth it.
Agree that the IMAX screen is something of a USP though and I’ve certainly been happy to pay the premium to see certain films on this screen. They could probably do something smaller scale and higher quality like an Odeon Luxe to compete for the higher end of the end of the market like Everyman.

Is there any activity on site yet? Has all gone a bit quiet considering it was due to start this summer.

Premiere Cinema in The Capitol Centre has closed permanently. I wasn't keen on it myself, but that was the only cinema keeping the prices low in Cardiff.

This loss and the loss of Odeon/IMAX would be tragic, so I hope The Odeon retains a presence.

Simon_SW17 wrote:Is there any activity on site yet? Has all gone a bit quiet considering it was due to start this summer.

Nothing's happened since they cut down some trees during nesting season, lots of complaints about that.
There were a couple of comments at a recent council meeting about costs and projected local spend. The developer is supposed to be providing detailed financials before anything else happens going from what was said.