General Developments

Could you copy the article onto here Kyle? It's subscriber only content.

Thanks

Looks great! I love it when a development proposal comes from completely left-field like this one.

Agreed. The only drawback is that it probably extends the life of MQ for a few years. There's only so much you can do to dress up a dog but it does look a lot better than the current incarnation.

I wonder what the longer term future of Mermaid Quay might be? Unless there is another radical reorientation of the city, the location is likely to remain a prime one for restaurants, shops and entertainment for the foreseeable future.

I'd like to see a slightly higher density development on the site (although not a high-rise) that would bring a significant improvement to the inner harbour in terms of both design and the mix and intensity of uses. Adding a hotel, apartments, offices etc would help ensure that the area would be busy throughout the week and not just on sunny weekends. Some decent retail (which the development has struggled to attract and retain since it was built 20 years ago) would also be welcome.

Could you copy the article onto here Kyle? It's subscriber only content.

Thanks

Sorry Simon, not really any more in what I read than in the itsoncardiff link posted a bit before my post.

Here it is though

Schroder UK Real Estate Fund has signed a deal to bring Everyman Cinema to Cardiff for its first Welsh site as part of a regeneration of Mermaid Quay.

Everyman has signed for a 11,500 sq ft boutique cinema within the 150,000 sq ft mixed-use destination on the waterfront in Cardiff Bay, Property Week can reveal. The fund recently outlined a multi-million pound plan for a comprehensive refurbishment of the public realm at Tacoma Square and leisure elements of the scheme as part of a wider Cardiff City Council led regeneration of the Bay.

I wonder what the longer term future of Mermaid Quay might be? Unless there is another radical reorientation of the city, the location is likely to remain a prime one for restaurants, shops and entertainment for the foreseeable future.

I'd like to see a slightly higher density development on the site (although not a high-rise) that would bring a significant improvement to the inner harbour in terms of both design and the mix and intensity of uses. Adding a hotel, apartments, offices etc would help ensure that the area would be busy throughout the week and not just on sunny weekends. Some decent retail (which the development has struggled to attract and retain since it was built 20 years ago) would also be welcome.

I think until more is developed in that whole part of the city to drive more footfall from surrounding developments I can't see anything changing very much. The new metro line coming further down into the bay will help. I guess it might be aided by recent and up and coming additions of more hotel rooms a little - the Exchange hotel, the new Premier Inn and the Travelodge extension. The new arena if and when it happens could also be a big help, although that could drive redevelopment of the Red Dragon Centre more than anything else, and maybe even bring in competing units within the arena itself. Finally something happening on the remaining Cardiff Waterside, Porth Teigr and Merchant Quarter sites to add more employees, more hotels and apartments will also improve things.

When I read all that, actually I can see a sign of potential improvements down there, and then maybe in the future Mermaid Quay will be a bit busier all year and then be able to expand and be a bit higher density. There's certainly still a lot of empty land there, plus buildings ripe for redevelopment.

Maybe the arena will be the main catalyst?

Cardiff no longer in the running for channel 4 HQ, but still in the running for one of the creative hubs.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-44927845
In a very pessimistic mode at the moment - don't see Cardiff getting a creative hub

This could be really good news, bringing an extra dimension to the inner harbour.

I would also very much welcome the demise of Demiros. It's incredibly tacky - particularly when they have cheesy, straight out of a 1980s cornetto advert opera singers crooning away outside.

From the picture looks like demiros is staying but Cardiff Bay Brasserie is going as well as pearl.

Cardiff University plans for 650 new student flats at Talybont and a very smart looking new Maths and Computer Science building on Senghenydd Road:

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/cardiff-university-unveils-plans-new-14960366

I can't quite tell what this could mean for Senghennydd road. Where exactly on the road is this proposed to be?

I can't quite tell what this could mean for Senghennydd road. Where exactly on the road is this proposed to be?

I think it has to be the car park by the train station.