Talking About Real Estate...

[dog]

I trust this valuable plot of land is no longer a burden on the public purse. Does anyone know where we stand with this icon of government incompetence?

[Guest Guy_Montag]

From Wikipedia:

*snip*

In December 2001 it was announced that Meridian Delta Ltd had been chosen by the government to develop the Dome as a sports and entertainment centre, and to develop housing, shops and offices on 150 acres (0.6 km²) of surrounding land. It is also hoped to relocate some of London's tertiary education establishments to the site. Meridian Delta is backed by the American billionaire Philip Anschutz, who has interests in oil, railways, and telecommunications (the troubled Qwest), as well as a string of sports-related investments.

*snip*

Over the 2004 Christmas period part of the main Dome was used as a shelter for the homeless and others in need, organised by the charity Crisis.

*snip*

On its conversion into a large indoor arena, which should be completed by 2007, the Dome will be the largest multi-purpose arena in London. It will normally be used for pop concerts and other entertainment. Its capacity has been of much debate in the media, ranging from 20,000-26,000 but will most likely have a capacity similar to the MEN Arena in Manchester, Northern England which is currently Europe's largest multi-purpose arena. It is said to seat a maximum of 18,500 for end stage concerts and 23,000 for boxing matches (500 more than Manchester's MEN Arena). Under construction, it is the largest multi purpose arena ever constructed in Europe. It will host the 2009 World Gymnastics Championships. At the 2012 Summer Olympic Games it will be used for artistic gymnastics and trampolining, for which it will have a spectator capacity of 16,500, and for the finals of the basketball, for which it will have a capacity of 20,000. The earlier rounds of the basketball competition will take place at one of the arenas in the Olympic Park. A 6,000-seat temporary venue called the Greenwich Arena will be built near to the Dome and will stage the badminton and rhythmic gymnastics events.

*snip*

[LivingTheDream-JustLikeLeedsUtd]

Perhaps the question should be:

Why is nothing happening with the expensive Millennium Dome ?

This project should have been a warning of how the Blair administration was going to punder the public purse for its own political goals and fantasies- a lesson not taken

Exactly when was the Dome commissioned?

I think you'll find this was the governmental equivalent of a footballing "hospital pass"

[HouseDog]

I had an idea to turn the Dome into a giant cheese burger and call it 'Burger World'.

The plan was to use the Dome to host a Burger World Theme Park to show the life cycle of the burger - from grazing cows and growing wheat, quickly through the slaughter process to the milling of the wheat and making the buns etc.

Wouldn't it have been great!

[ʎqɐqɹǝʞɐɥs]

I had an idea to turn the Dome into a giant cheese burger and call it 'Burger World'.

The plan was to use the Dome to host a Burger World Theme Park to show the life cycle of the burger - from grazing cows and growing wheat, quickly through the slaughter process to the milling of the wheat and making the buns etc.

Wouldn't it have been great!

Burger me, what a great idea.

[smartie]

Isn't it called the O2, now, after the mobile phone company? Why do grand projects always have to have sponsorship? Reebox Stadium, Galpharm Stadium, Nynex (now MEN) Arena, Emirates Stadium, etc. They have no meaning, no sense of history or purpose. We should name them after greating sporting achievers, not brands.

It should have stayed as a homeless shelter all year round, not just at Christmas/New Year. The Dome should stay forever as an example of British greed and useless planning.

smartie

http://www.gmroads.co.uk

Edited May 11, 2006 by smartie

[benjamin]

i have it on good authority that it is to be inverted and used as a reservoir thus bringing an end to the water shortages in the south east.

[Mushroom]

Don't you just love our Politicians trying to build momuments to themselves.

Perhaps they should learn from the past and construct pyramids.

At our expense of course.

T@ssers.

How much has "security" for the site cost the public purse?

Edited May 11, 2006 by Mushroom

[Guest Bart of Darkness]

Saw the Dome for the first time a couple of months back, on my way to the London Book Fair.

Maybe we could lease it to Bryan Singer for his planned remake of Logan's Run?

You could just imagine Logan as an HPC regular:

Life clocks are a lie! Carousel is a lie! THERE IS NO RENEWAL!

[Sledgehead]

Forget the Dome and look at the real icons:

Empire State Building : when finished in 1931 it was the tallest in the world, pipping The Chrysler, which had only topped out 11 months previously. The depression that accompanied and followed its completion resulted in it being nicknamed the Empty State building because of its lack of tennants.

Canary Wharf : when finished in 1991 it was the tallest building in Great Britain. The property market collapse that accompanied and followed its completion saw its owners, Olympia and York go bust because of its lack of tennants.

Amusingly, topping out of that Manchester monstrosity had property bulls crowing "this is the start of a newly invigorated Manchester". If history teaches us anything, we might conclude the exact opposite to be just as likely.

Edited May 11, 2006 by Sledgehead

[aclwalker]

Don't you just love our Politicians trying to build momuments to themselves.

Perhaps they should learn from the past and construct pyramids.

At our expense of course.

T@ssers.

How much has "security" for the site cost the public purse?

Brown's constructed his own pyramid over the last few years.

Edited May 11, 2006 by aclwalker

[Randall Herbert]

Can't we just hold a massive NU LAbour rally in the 'Tent' and turn all of them who turn up into "soylent green" ??

[dog]

Saw the Dome for the first time a couple of months back, on my way to the London Book Fair.

Maybe we could lease it to Bryan Singer for his planned remake of Logan's Run?

You could just imagine Logan as an HPC regular:

Logan's run. Isnt that the one where they have stones in their heads? Or am I thinking of Tony's cabinet.

[infected]

Empire State Building : when finished in 1931 it was the tallest in the world, pipping The Chrysler, which had only topped out 11 months previously. The depression that accompanied and followed its completion resulted in it being nicknamed the Empty State building because of its lack of tennants.

Canary Wharf : when finished in 1991 it was the tallest building in Great Britain. The property market collapse that accompanied and followed its completion saw its owners, Olympia and York go bust because of its lack of tennants.

There's that theory that says that it is only at the height of the credit cycle that the necessary debt can be issued to fund these "grands projets" and so, in a very visible fashion, they provide an excellent marker for the peak of a boom and the inevitable crash. When is the Shard Of Glass due to be built???

[Guest Bart of Darkness]

An earlier thread that might be of interest:

Skyscrapers that point to trouble

[expatowner]

Exactly when was the Dome commissioned?

I think you'll find this was the governmental equivalent of a footballing "hospital pass"

It was given the go-ahead by both the Conservatives and New Labour in the run up to Labours first election victory.

The first minister that labour attached to it was Peter Mandleson who had to give it up when he became embroiled in a scandal surrounding some labour supporter giving him a loan for a house and he didn't declare it.

[Sledgehead]

An earlier thread that might be of interest:

Skyscrapers that point to trouble

Thanks Bart, missed that thread. At a glance it looks like a good colation of what we largely (and falsely) tend to dismiss as market myth. Cheers.

[MarkG]

Logan's run. Isnt that the one where they have stones in their heads?

It's the one where Jenny Agutter takes her clothes off at every opportunity. I've forgotten the rest of the movie .

[fizz]

The Millenium Dome now called the O2 dome is currently being transformed into an concert/live music venue by AEG - American Entertainments Group. They are refurbing the interior - shifting some struts, etc. to improve the audience experience..... I have no idea what deal went down with who to offload this white elephant!!