York Area Developments

[Irish Blood English Heart]

Great news about York City being back in the league, a city the size of York really should be able to support at least a League 1 team.

I agree with the posters above too who've noticed quite how unpleasant and rowdy York can get, particularly on race weekends. Funny how football fans get such a bad press but racegoers hardly get a mention despite the fighting vomiting and pissing in doorways that you always see on a race weekend. My mother in law who studied law here was shocked when she came back (on a non-race weekend I should add) that what she always thought was a very classy city now seemed to be the domain of stag and hen parties with a pretty threatening air. York should be careful not to kill the goose that lays the golden egg attracting these kind of tourists.

[Leeds No.1]

[Leeds No.1]

Why do we have to have sprawling car parks like that? If a car park must be expanded, why not expand upwards?

[Val Verde]

Originally Posted by Leeds No.1

Why do we have to have sprawling car parks like that? If a car park must be expanded, why not expand upwards?

Quite simply because it is a lot cheaper to build a surface carpark in a low density area as opposed to construct a multi storey car park which only becomes viable in locations with a higher density although a multi storey would certainly be a better thing in using much less land.

Also out of interest with the mooted capacity of the new York City / York City Knights stadium being only 6-7,000 how much more would it have cost to have built a larger ground of around 12-13,000 similar to the proposed stadia for Wakefield Trinity Wildcats and Castleford Tigers Rugby League clubs? Could it be more efficent in the long run to build a stadium to around 12-13,000 considering the potential for higher attendances if York City / York City Knights happen to meet a high profile club in the FA Cup / League Cup / Challenge Cup (considering York must surely have an attraction in itself in it's historic core for away days), to keep the stadia future proof in case of promotions to higher leagues and increasing attendances that come with that, for use as a neutral venue for sporting events not involving a York club ie for Challenge Cup semi finals such as say Leeds Rhinos v Hull FC or for England Under 18 / 21 matches and also opening the door for the stadium to be used as a concert venue?

[Leeds No.1]

Well yes, I understand that it's cheaper, but I would have just thought it goes somewhat against the whole rationale of the scheme.

It's not really any better to have green P&R schemes if they themselves mean the urban fringe is becoming a sea of car parks.

[Irish Blood English Heart]

6000 really is too small. I was in a bigger crowd at Bootham Crescent last year. 10000 would've given the club more room to grow and possibly even allow a superleague franchise should the opportunity ever come about.

[Val Verde]

The proposed community stadium and John Lewis and Marks & Spencer stores at Monks Cross on the edge of York will not be called in by the government. http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/9772...urdle/?ref=rss

Still think a 6,000 capacity stadium for York City and York City Knights is rather small imo (surely it could have been developed with a 10-13,000 capacity imo and how much extra would it have cost to develop a stadium with that bit more capacity to ensure the ground could be used for higher profile fixtures (assuming York City / York City Knights are ever promoted or play high profile clubs in cup competitions) and potentially concerts) and I would certainly have thought the city of York has lost it's biggest chance of massively improving it's city centre retail by the development of new John Lewis and Marks & Spencer stores on the outskirts instead as opposed to trying to construct a new shopping centre in the city centre which would certainly be needed imo.





So with the government's approval of this scheme would this development start soon? I hope it doesn't impact on the timescale on getting a John Lewis developed in Leeds considering John Lewis focusing a lot of efforts on getting a store opened in York for potentially as soon as Autumn 2013.

[Shiny_Dave]

Vision revealed of how revamped White Swan Hotel might look

IT’S a sight to make York conservationists smile – the developers’ first sketch of a refurbished White Swan Hotel.

This artist’s impression will go on display in York next week, as developers discuss their plans to redevelop the 100-year-old Piccadilly landmark.

The building had been earmarked for demolition, to be replaced by a new hotel and shops, but after a public backlash, the owners changed their plans.

The Graham Family Trust, which owns the building, will show its plans to the public next Wednesday at the Quaker Meeting House in Friargate.

They plan to completely refurbished the 1912 building to accommodate 14 new apartments on the upper floors and new and improved shop space on the ground floor, They say the project will to help to revitalise that part of the city centre.

Jason Garrod, from Cj2 Ltd, agent for the owners said: “We will be consulting the public on our plans in the coming weeks before submitting a planning application to the council later this summer.

“We are pleased our architects, Paul Davis & Partners, have devised a scheme which retains the existing building, helping to bring it back into good use by providing new shops and homes in this important area of the city centre.”

A planning application for the development is likely to be submitted later this summer, with a decision from city planners expected in the autumn.

The consultation event will be from 2pm to 8pm next Wednesday, July 18, in The Penn Room of the Friend’s Meeting House, Friargate, York, YO1 9RL.

The Press

[Irish Blood English Heart]

Glad something is finally being done with that eyesore, even if it's hardly the most ambitious or earth shattering development.

[Val Verde]

Ditto good news although I hope this latest proposal isn't just a ruse to increase the value of that site whilst doing nothing and leaving the site to rot further. Personally I would have thought this building would have been ideal for something like a Wetherspoons hotel.

[Irish Blood English Heart]

That was my hope too, particularly as the two current Wetherspoons in York are pretty poor and quite far from the main shopping areas.

[Shiny_Dave]

Rowntree Park Café to serve up drinks and books

THE first library reading café in the UK is about to open in an award-winning York park.

The Rowntree Park café will be an extension of the “Explore” library brand and is based in a newly renovated Edwardian tea shop.

It will be launched tomorrow – the 91st anniversary of the park – with a party and community fair.

The library will form part of the new café, with food and drink sales funding its operation, and includes free wi-fi.

“Rowntree Park is a wonderful park and it now has a great café to go with the other facilities,” said Cath Mortimer of the Friends of Rowntree Park.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the council in developing the library and community facilities.”

Coun Sonja Crisp said: “The reading cafe is something very fresh, new and exciting which builds on our growing reputation as a national innovator in library services, and we’ll be using the fantastic surroundings of the park to our advantage with activities such as story sessions and yoga classes this summer.”

thepress

Interesting fact about the park is that Rowntree bought the land so Terry's couldn't get their hands on it to build a larger factory. They then bequeathed the land to the city as a park. Much is said about the altruismof Quakers but they were also mean businessmen!

Grew up near Terry's in York which was fairly magical as you would wake up on a morning to the smell of chocolate seeping into your house. Wonder where my addiction came from haha. God knows how I'm under 11 stone!

[Shiny_Dave]

Big chock off crane at Hungate.

Street drinkers. Many.

Cult now simply called Superdry.

Tourists confused at no shops open after 5:30pm.

Dim lighting.

Some idiot journo in tweed getting ripped by a couple of younger female friends for doing a journalism degree.

Lumberjack shirts seem to have finally hit York en masse. 10 years after everywhere else.

How I love my home town. Frickn not.

[Irish Blood English Heart]

Aye not much ever happens here...

Raging debates on the York press about stag and hen parties ruining the town mind.

Also has been talk of repaving a lot of the city centre in Sheffield style stone, which can only be a good thing... Also talk of opening up more of the riverside from Lendal to the Guildhall which would also be good.

[Aaronj09]

I'm a frequent visitor of York and always enjoy my time there, but I'm not a resident so I may not be fully aware of all its flaws and downsides that prevent it from fulfilling its full potential.

[Leeds No.1]

York could learn a lot from Sheffield regarding public realm. The state of its pavements are terrible compared to Leeds, let alone Sheffield.

The whole city has sat on its laurels for far too long. If it doesn't do something soon, it's really going to suffer not just from Leeds, but from the ring of retail parks and out of town activity that dominates the edge of York.

[Leeds No.1]

On Communities & Local Government questions, the lack of any direction from the City of York council for over 40 years was brought to attention, with the council being basically told to get off their arses.

[Val Verde]

Hiscox Insurance is to create a new UK office in York which could potentially create up to 300 jobs. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-19757985



Great news to see such jobs attracted to York particularly since Norwich Union / Aviva who have a presence in York have been on a long term programme of job cuts and decline. I wonder if Hiscox considered looking at Leeds when looking for a new office?

[Val Verde]

Five designs have been shortlisted for the proposed revamp of York's Guildhall and Riverside Complex (with the BBC oddly enough only showing two). http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-20410078





Presume a high quality design reflecting traditional building materials and appearances would be most likely chosen through such a bidding process imo over anything overtly modern. Are there any renders of the other three proposals?

[Irish Blood English Heart]

There's pictures of all 5 on the York Press website, along with a mountain of comments decrying them as eyesores and saying nothing should ever get built in York ever!

Don't think they are serious proposals with any money behind them, just ideas at this stage.