General Developments

Dumballs Road? - So 1 Canal parade, is underway but that's it at the moment. There's also 3 sites with hoardings - 2 following recent demolitions. All surrounding the fine Cardiff and Vale building. Now the fact that 1 Canal Parade is 'so called' suggests maybe a 2 and a 3 Canal Parade? Anyway I'm just wondering when we'll hear more about the whole Dumballs Road plans? This is one of the biggest areas in and around the city centre that is earmarked for development and total transformation - it's all gone very quiet? Obviously plenty going on behind the scenes but when will us mere mortals get wind of what's happening?

hint hint to anyone in the know

Anyway I'm just wondering when we'll hear more about the whole Dumballs Road plans? This is one of the biggest areas in and around the city centre that is earmarked for development and total transformation - it's all gone very quiet? Obviously plenty going on behind the scenes but when will us mere mortals get wind of what's happening?

I have no idea what's going on with this project, but to me, it wouldn't be a bad place for an Atheletes Village to service a Commonwealth Games. A village that could be converted post-games and sold off as private apartments. The same games could have helped finish off the International Sports Village with some additional venues, for cycling, gymnastics that could then provide excelent training facilities for future athletes competing in future games.

But hey, let's not think like that. After all, Cardiff/Wales doesn't need vanity projects, white elephants and world-wide media attention.

As much as I enjoy Cardiff hosting major events, I think it is legitimate to question exactly how much they really contribute to the local economy. After all, how many major events with global coverage can you remember Bristol hosting in recent years? And yet that city has been much more successful that Cardiff in attracting high quality jobs over the last decade or so.

One could also look at Newport and question whether hosting the Ryder Cup and NATO Summit has had any positive impact on the structure of the local economy.

I doubt there's any direct link to new jobs from these events but there's a lot of cash put into the economy directly as well as supporting hospitality jobs. I would imagine a lot of fans return as tourists too. Also can't harm to get Cardiff's name better known (although preferably not for huge queues to get on a train at Central!).

I doubt there's any direct link to new jobs from these events but there's a lot of cash put into the economy directly as well as supporting hospitality jobs. I would imagine a lot of fans return as tourists too. Also can't harm to get Cardiff's name better known (although preferably not for huge queues to get on a train at Central!).

I don't think people question that there are some benefits - both short and long term. The question is, do those benefits justify spending up to £1 billion of public money?

You could support hundreds or thousands of smaller events, which together might bring in more tourists (especially to the very local area, where capacity constraints can be an issue for big sporting events).

You could spend a fraction of it on more traditional marketing and tourism promotion.

You could invest the money in improved infrastructure, which has a more direct and certain long-term economic gain associtated with it.

If you want to boost the economy there are probably far better ways of spending money than hosting the Commonwealth Games. That doesn't mean that you should never consider hosting such an event - there is more to life than money, and more to government policy than the economy. Even the Romans knew government was about circuses as well as bread.

https://www.google.be/maps/@51.4846436, ... 56!6m1!1e1

they didn't finish taking down the old building like wtf....

Why would they? It costs money to demolish buildings, they've made it safe, as far as they're concerned that's good enough. Besides I'm sure I've seen a planning application to redevelop the site into flats so it will be gone soon

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/moxy-hotels-could-way-cardiff-11760810

Interesting, even more so considering where the site is. It's still quite industrial there but could be a great location in a few years if and when the Dumballs road project sorts itself out.

I must say, I find the idea of this being the site of a hotel rather odd. Granted it is next to the river, and there are plans for the Dumballs Road area. But at the moment site isn't anything other than industrial: theres the big Brains Brewery site next door, and the various units across the road (notably the big Yellow Storage building). And as far as I'm aware, the Dumballs Road plans don't actually extend to this area. So even when (if?) that development gets underway, this site is likely to be a bit out on a limb. I just don't see there being enough demand for office and/or residential space in the city to warrant redeveloping this area wholesale. About the only thing that could do it would be the siting of the convention centre at Callaghan Square South Side or the Brains Brewery. Is that what they are betting on?

A great little video of the proposed Central Station redevelopment has been released.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/b ... f-11770000

Looks like it's an old design, but it's nice to see the plans. It's also interesting to see 2 towers and a "HQ building".