The website has been updated! Lots and lots of info on there.

http://www.cardiffwaterside.co.uk/

WOW looks amazing, i hope its all done pretty much in one go as it will really help to unite this area of the inner harbour. This and Merchant quarter will realy bring even more life into the inner harbour and hopefully initiate more local businesses.

This is my favourite development in Cardiff at the moment, i mean the designs are stunning, its enviromentally sound and i think when its finished it will look great and im pleased to see construction has started on building 3, hopefully the others can get going soon aswell.

Still some of the highest quality offices in the city but it appears from the new renders that 3 Assembly Square has been dumbed down a little. It's lost that feature corner that echoed the atradius building.

Looking good, in particular 1 Assembly Square.

My only concern is the wooden panelling on 2 & 3 Assembly Square for me they seem to mess up the good lines of the building. I can't help but think that the panels are going to look very dated far too quickly. Wonder if the architect got a good deal on fencing panels from B&Q ;)

It looks fantastic. It adds bulk to that part of the Bay, brings some much needed architectural quality in the wake of Celestia, may make the ground floor use of Celestia etc as retail/commercial more viable adding vitality to the area, will bring thousands of workers into the Bay making it more lively and suporting new and existing businesses. It has the potential to become the modern equivalent of the merchant quarter built around Mount Stuart Square. If that area and Merchant Place come on stream as well then the Bay will be a fantastic blend of the old and the new, entertainment and business, residential and cultural...........if it gets built.

For me the key to getting this built quickly rather than remaning on the drawing board is the successful letting of Callaghan Square. This will give an indicator to Morley of the appetite for Grade A office space in the city and dictate how fast or slow this project goes. I know that Callaghan Square isn't completed and there are commercial confidentiality issues etc but I haven't heard of any prospective tenants other than the Equality Commission who are not likely to occupy much more than one floor. I'd like to read in the WM that MEPC have fully let no's 3,4 and 5 Callaghan Sq for record rent per sq ft and can't build the southside quick enough. If that happens I think it will create some momentum for Cardiff Waterside to get built sooner rather than later.

The Bay is still a work in progress and is not perfect but if this scheme is built I think it will put it will put it head and shoulders above most other regeneration projects of it's kind in the UK.

There are currently 3 tenants for Callaghan Square:
- Equality Commission
- Cru Investment Management
- and some property company (I forget the name).

I think together these have taken up 3 or 4 floors of the first building.

Cardiff's city-centre/bay office market continues to underperform, unfortunately, although Cardiff Gate goes from strength to strength (despite the traffic problems mentioned previously).
In terms of these new developments, I think what is required is for a major bank, insurance company, or legal firm to take the plunge and open up a significant sized office in Cardiff - I think they'd be pleasantly surprised in terms of the quality of space, staff and custom and this would spur others to make a move or expand too.
We also need more home-grown firms, as these will be most loyal to the city. Wouldn't it be great if one of the media, or legal firms (that are proliferating down at Capital Waterside) really took off and could expand nationally and even further afield from a Cardiff base (more possible given communications technology than in the past).

I'd certainly like to see something other than 'back office' coming to CS or Cardiff Waterside. I agree that a large concern headquartering operations in Cardiff might see the invisible barrier that seems to have been erected just past Bristol Parkway come tumbling down.

As for indigenous concerns apart from Admiral I don't see anything that is likely to be taking on more than a floor or two at the moment. Communications Direct have been talking about building their own bespoke offices in the city centre and perhaps one of the various arms of the Principality may take the plunge but after that I'm not sure who would be in the frame.

As for legal firms Morgan Cole are the only firm that I can think of that expanded over Offa's Dyke and it's taken them a good few years to recover. Hugh James are expanding at the moment but they have superb offices in the middle of St Mary Street which have recently been refurbished. There are very few large firms in Cardiff, some medium firms but the vast majority are still small concerns of between 5-10 partners/10-20 fee earners. In the grand scheme of things that's small fry. It's a chicken and egg situation I'm afraid - law firms expand when there is jlots of well paid work around (commercial property/construction/corporate etc). There isn't enough of this type of work in south Wales to sustain substantial growth and there is still the view in some quarters that if you want best advice it's safest going over the bridge to Bristol/London. It's more likely that a larger firm may make Cardiff their regional headquarters as Eversheds did rather than a local firm expanding outwards.

Admiral
Legal and General
HBoS Card Services
The Principality
Lloyds Asset Finance
Zurich
Julian Hodge Bank
Yes Loans

all have head office functions in this city, whether it is group or divisional it is still head office.

there is clearly a burgeoning micro finance centre being formed. If WAG/CCC would only convince honkers and shankers and BdZW to base a major element of their busines down here then I reckon thnigs could really take off. The are at present scattered all about our city but with some forward thinking with the CEo's/MD's of hte above, I'm sure they could all be persuaded to locate to a certain area which would give a mini 'city' feel...

I can't help but think that events are sort of coming back full circle what with our talk of a wishlist of financial concerns which we would like to 'headquarter' in the Bay.

Remember the huge coup in 1999 when the worlds then largest issuer of credit cards (aka Bank One of America) announced that it was going to set up its European HQ in Cardiff Bay.

And what did we end up with on that site?


Celestia!!!!!:banana:

Wouldn't the current credit crunch stop or discourage finance related companies from opening up flashy new offices?

Yes loans, sub-prime lender by any chance?

How many up and coming Chinese/Indian technology companies have UK or European offices/HQ - now that could be an untapped market. With companies like these Cardiff could use it's capital city status to its advantage and they won't have any prejudices that UK companies might have.

What would look better - UK HQ for some Chinese electronics company or head office functions (aka call centre) for "subprime loanz iz us".

Sub prime loanz iz us of course :|


Or even better - Sub prime loans woz us

Wouldn't the current credit crunch stop or discourage finance related companies from opening up flashy new offices?

Yes loans, sub-prime lender by any chance?

How many up and coming Chinese/Indian technology companies have UK or European offices/HQ - now that could be an untapped market. With companies like these Cardiff could use it's capital city status to its advantage and they won't have any prejudices that UK companies might have.

What would look better - UK HQ for some Chinese electronics company or head office functions (aka call centre) for "subprime loanz iz us".

yes loans = broker house

Their website gives the impression they'd lend unsecured credit to a bankrupt alcoholic gaming addict with 24 hours left to live who wanted a last trip to Vegas. Sounds like sub sub prime lending ! Thanks for the referral!:)


http://www.yesloansuk.com/?app=new&gclid=CLeaqImB848CFQgsQwodPCqNKg

Knew I'd heard of Yes Loans
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/x-ray/sites/allarticles/updates/6p20_yesloans.shtml

£1,000 over 12 months at 25% APR - bargain ;)

Knew I'd heard of Yes Loans
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/x-ray/sites/allarticles/updates/6p20_yesloans.shtml

£1,000 over 12 months at 25% APR - bargain ;)


different company, Yes Loans & mortgages, based on Ocean Way have been established for a few years. The act as middle men in the subprime brokerage market. But they are still brokers nonetheless...


here's a story to tell...

I have my own accountancy and tax practice. I am bombarded almost daily by lenders suggesting I'll get kick backs galore by recommending their products. Now my client portfolio tend to be high end and professional services....I laughed when this one lender suggested they can offer typical lending rates of 69% (thats right not six point nien but sixtynine)

perhaps I misheard and in fact the feamle rep was suggesting what i'd get if I signed up there and then.... :lol: