This is payback to the fans for the atrocious Adidas designs this year.
Stadium Discussion
- Thread starter Gene
- Start date
This is where I am at. It all depends on the interpretation. I think it's best to watch about 10 minutes of her presentation and come to your own conclusion.
I'll bet YouTube blocked it for using "When I'm Sixty-four" at the end. (The Beatles' IP lawyers don't play)
Is that how old I’ll be when the stadium is built? Wish I got to see it before they did. Was hoping it was Populous who blocked it.
At this rate, not only will we be 64, but we will be watching a bunch of genetically engineered thumb-suckers. The future is gonna be a hoot.
Falastur ?
Sorry, I was busy yesterday so couldn't comment.
I will also say that it's hard for me to say anything beyond general response to other peoples' views as that video has been region-locked in the UK so I can't watch it. I'm not really sure whether, for instance, CFG were even hinted at in that video or if we are all putting two and two together?
However I will say that, yes, building affordable community housing has always been a key tenet of CFG's philosophy although to this point they've only done anything in Manchester. They have a particular interest in developing the area around the stadium - like in those mock-ups of what we would have done in Belmont, CFG have bought a whole chunk of land around the stadium which they are hoping to develop in phases into new commercial and possibly residential zoning with the idea of renovating the area. They also formed a strategic partnership with Manchester City Council, over which they were happy to commit £1b as an initial investment for the purposes of building several thousand units of affordable living space around the city, so the money they are willing to invest is not token.
They had a deal to build new Halls of Residence for about 3,000 students for one of the universities in Manchester as well, but that fell through over various issues (not NIMBYism, as I recall, just disputes over zoning and with other developers who were trying to be involved, but I'd have to go back and look it up again to be certain).
At any rate, yes I could totally see this being a classic CFG move.
One last thing I would note: CFG didn't enter into this property partnership in Manchester as part of some ploy to butter up Manchester City Council, because they had already re-negotiated their lease on the stadium and made plain their intentions to expand the stadium at this point. All signs are that it is a genuine interest of theirs. Now if you want to suggest that it is rather more focused towards the whole "persuading everyone that the UAE is a nice country after all" thing which has been discussed here before then there's some more evidence for that, but honestly if CFG do get into the land redevelopment thing in NYC (assuming that the levels of politicking required in the stadium do not resurface here too) then all signs are that they wouldn't necessarily stop after securing a theoretical stadium deal...
One followup question: Have they worked with other developers in Manchester or was the Council their only strategic partnership? Here they would almost certainly have to share the development with some of the other big players. Granted it does seem that, based on the Belmont bid, they're building a relationship with Related (and hopefully Sterling as well) so they may already realize they have to collaborate here.
I don't believe they have, although outside of CFG itself there are some pretty major property developers who work for related parties back in Abu Dhabi, and so I'm sure the experience of such things is not lacking if required.
Not related, but Populous will be doing Miami's stadium, as well.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...owers-rise-at-once-in-jammed-nyc-condo-market
The project, built in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2019.
The project, built in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2019.
"The trio of towers, where amenities include an underground tennis court, soccer field and aeroponic garden, has 263 condo units in all."
Hiding in plain sight.
