Cardiff Bay/Mermaid Quay developments

http://jomec.co.uk/thecardiffian/2017/0 ... s-housing/

They've started work on the canopy roof already

Museum of Military Medicine planned for space next to Travelodge down the Bay..

What then is going in the old Cardiff Bay Railway Station? Was this not a Military Museum site?
Or can they not be ars*d to renovate and preserve old buildings, just display old things in brand new buildings!

I think either they got out-bid for it or they decided it wasn't fit for purpose and someone else has come in with a proposal. In any case, latest planning app for the old station is for offices in the original station building and A1/A3 and so-called live-work units (which actually just appear to be flats) in 3-storey extension on the area covered by the canopy.

They say the new building isn't trying to "mimic" the old building but whereas a good very modern extension could really complement the station (by contrasting with it), I think the proposal here just looks like a bit of cheap new build tacked on:

http://planning.cardiff.gov.uk/online-a ... APR_119015

There is also no access between the old and new buildings in the plans. It appears to just be a new building tagged onto the side of an old one. They talk about this respecting the structure of the existing listed building... but I think it will reinforce the problematic relationship between the two caused by the basic exterior design of the extension.

20170510_154704 by Stephen Anstiss, on Flickr

There is an application in to demolish the Coffee Mania pod at Mermaid Quay.

The rationale behind this is to facilitate majot investment by Schroders in Mermaid Quay and the surrounding public realm. I hope this is true as it's looking dated. I wonder if they are considering altering the car parking provision? It always struck me as a bit of a temporary looking building. Could be reconfigured so there is commercial on the ground floor maybe?

Although I quite like the design of the pod by removing it there will be a small square created which could be used for events, stalls etc. Lets hope the public realm is good quality

Bugger. Best coffee on the Quay and nowhere else that has views like that. Well, 'spoons, but the coffee's nowhere near the quality.

Shame to lose a rare non-chain but the news of public realm work is definitely welcomed. It's all a by mismatched and piecemeal at the moment. A comprehensive overhaul would be good. I mean, it must have actually been in place for a long period of time now?

Is that weird temporary raised ramp still down there, outside Salt? What was that for?

Yes the ramp is still there, I was told it's covering up a sinkhole.

Coffee and CO taken over the old bosphorus restaurant, done out quite nicely

Shamelessly ripped from Property Week today. Could this eventually see someone who is willing to develop the empty sites in the bay if Aviva are walking away?


Aviva Investors has brought an office campus in Cardiff to the market with a price tag of £86.4m.

It is understood that Aviva Life and Pensions has instructed Knight Frank to sell seven office buildings and two development sites within the Cardiff Waterside business park, which stands in the Welsh capital’s bay.

The Cardiff Waterside portfolio comprises around 400,000 sq ft of office space across seven buildings, as well as a 1,200-lot multi-storey car park and two development sites.

It is currently 90% let to more than 30 tenants and includes the UK headquarters of Dutch credit insurance company Atradius. Other occupiers are KPMG, ITV, Regus, Acuity Legal and Abel & Imray.

The two development sites total more than three acres and have planning consent in place for the development of an extra 360,000 sq ft of grade A office space.

However, two further development sites as well as the site for a new a £15m 210-room Premier Inn hotel, that are also owned by Aviva, are not part of the sale.

The scheme has been widely marketed and has already generated “good interest and a few offers”, a person with knowledge of the deal told Property Week.

“This scheme is unique in Cardiff and presents an active opportunity for asset management purposes,” the person said.

Cardiff Waterside was acquired as a direct investment by Aviva Life and Pensions for £80m in 2012 from a limited partnership between different funds within Aviva Investors.

Aviva Investors, via Knight Frank, currently act as asset and investment advisors to Aviva Life and Pensions.

Waterside totals 14 acres and is part of the 30-year Cardiff Bay regeneration, which was recently hailed a “major success” by former Secretary of State for Wales Lord Crickhowell.

Once a wasteland of derelict docks, the area was regenerated under the Government’s Urban Development Programme.

In 1987 the Cardiff Bay Development Corporation was formed with the aim to regenerate 2700 acres of dockland.

Landmark buildings such as the National Welsh Assembly, the City Hall and the National Museum of Wales were built on place.

Lots of residential stuff happening in the Inner Bay Area: The Windsor's going to be 4 flats: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-fo ... 03825.html while the old Bank on the corner of James Street has a very fancy penthouse priced £1.2million with some even more fanciful illustrations of what it will look like that considerably distort surrounding views: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-fo ... 18874.html