Official Coventry Thread

[woodhousen]

can someone who knows what is going on here in the west mids 2nd city and do a run through and then ill edit the thread to make it the opening post! thankeeee

[skybluecity]

current projects:

the axa development is a mixed use scheme, incorporating new offices, shops, apartments and an attractive public square. the image doesn't really do it justice however. the new building is in the foreground.


friargate is a massive new office development next to coventry station. check out the developers site for more info - www.friargatecoventry.co.uk. at the moment its at the 'masterplan' stage, although a planning application for friargate 1 has been submitted (image below).



the massive new city centre ikea (the first of its kind) is currently under construction and is due for completion around xmas.




millenium place is the final piece of the phoenix intiative jigsaw. check out the developers site - www.cordwell-propert.co.uk - for more info. developement is mainly residential with a few shops and bars at street level.



just outside the city centre there are plans for a large mixed use deveopment at the butts, including a new office building for the relocated QCA (foreground)


currently under construction is the new city college in hillfields. building 1 is near completion and building 2 (shown below) is now under construction.


the belgrade plaza developement is now underway. it will include shops, bars/restaurants, 2 hotels (including radison edwardian), a casino and a small residential element.




the belgrade plaza will be situated next to the belgrade theatre, which is currently being extended (see below).



the herbert art gallery (situated close to coventry cathedral) is also currently undergoing an extension.




apartments on friars road. construction due to start soon.



Victoria Buildings opposite new IKEA store.

By day



By night

[El Paulo]

Thanks Woody! Nice to see Coventry getting the coverage it deserves - pictures look great, skyblue!!!

[smysticed]

Thanks, skybluecity! Clearly plenty to look forward to in the city

[Biosonic]

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to the world of Stickyville Coventry!

I like the Herbert, Belgrade Plaza and the rail station area masterplan the most

[Telfordboy]

Whoa, lots going on

[rottersclub]

Originally Posted by Telfordboy

Whoa, lots going on

Yup, there is, but it's happening veerrryyyyy slow.

[ccfc-4-life]

indeed, ill be 6feet under by the time they're all finished!

[Jags]

great pics,

also the city arcade is to be redecorated in black and white checkerboard style iv been told and will also be renamed to Greyfriars Walk or something on those lines.

[rottersclub]

According to the telegraph this week, a Swedish Bank has opened up an office in Coventry - it's a commercial bank, and they have apparently opened in Cov due to the number of new businesses moving in/setting up.

[Scazmattaz]

Wooooo for sticky!!!!

Marty babes, would you be able to post the Friargate Masterplan picture on this forum?

[Scazmattaz]

Originally Posted by Jags

great pics,

also the city arcade is to be redecorated in black and white checkerboard style iv been told and will also be renamed to Greyfriars Walk or something on those lines.

A new Pottery shop is opening near Bishops Games.

[rottersclub]

Here we go, the Friargate Masterplan:

[rottersclub]

Originally Posted by Scazmattaz

A new Pottery shop is opening near Bishops Games.

Does anyone actually go down there? It's bloody awful.

[Scazmattaz]

Originally Posted by MartinN

Does anyone actually go down there? It's bloody awful.

I walk through there a couple of times a week... to get to my flat.

[rottersclub]

Originally Posted by Scazmattaz

I walk through there a couple of times a week... to get to my flat.

Unlucky! I avoid it whenever possible.

Pizza Express in Leamington is rubbish, by the way. The one in Coventry is far better - better, consistent food, and better service. The one in Cov also has a nice, laid back jazzy atmosphere.

[ccfc-4-life]

Originally Posted by MartinN

Unlucky! I avoid it whenever possible.

Pizza Express in Leamington is rubbish, by the way. The one in Coventry is far better - better, consistent food, and better service. The one in Cov also has a nice, laid back jazzy atmosphere.

the food is fantastic there, love it

service has improved since they first opened in town, i go there regularly

[rottersclub]

Here's Friargate again - the scale of this project is pretty big - the size of a small town centre in itself.

[WOTZDA POINT]

Hi Coventry, how are things over in the west ?

Here in the east, Nottingham tends to dominate the region much to Leicester's annoyance, especially as the two cities are demographically simliar, as i believe Coventry is too.

Does Birmingham dominate Coventry ? or do you keep some autonomy ?

I think Leicester would do better out of the East Midlands. Do you think Coventry would do better out of the West Midlands ? or are you happy with your city being the second city in the region ? Does it affect your development, does all the good stuff go to Birmingham at Coventrys expense ? Like i believe (my personal theory) that the good stuff goes to Nottingham at our expense ? Or do we as second cities in our respective regions just have to accept the status quo ?

Coventry is closer to Leicester than Nottingham and Derby. Are you surprised their isn't more connections between our cities, M69, or does the poor rail connection prevent this ? Or is it because we are seperated by this east/west thing ?

I think all the midland cities should be independent and not part of a region.

What do you in Coventry think ?

[rottersclub]

Originally Posted by skybluecity

Martin

I agree that the labour controlled council, with their socialist agenda, did an enormous amount of damage during the latter part of the 20th century; however I also believe that during their last few years in power they were beginning to make amends.

it was the labour controlled council that brought us the phoenix initiative, and although mistakes were made, they at least had the balls to stand firm against enormous opposition to the demolition of the old hipprodrome. it's a pity they didn't force a CPO on sainsburys, like i say, they made mistakes, but at least they followed through. i firmly believe that a labour controlled council would not have kept pool meadow bus station open, and thus we would'nt have buses running under the whittle arches, and consequently we'd almost certainly be looking forward to a major new development in a part of the city centre that is crying out for exactly that.

it was labour who proposed that the elevated section of the ring-road be flattened - the tories of course have ditched this option fearing a blacklash from the electorate - and thus the swanswell initiative is pretty much dead in the water. labour too were desperately trying to secure funding for a new sports centre - and from what i can tell this is also now a dead project.

labour may have created the cultural desert that is coventry city centre, but one of the first things the tory council did was withdraw funding for the expansion of the herbert art gallery. luckily, the higgs trust stepped in, but without that it's highly unlikely that that project would have happened (at least not for some considerable time).

i'm no fan of the labour party in general, but equally i'm less than impressed with the record of the tories so far in coventry. what exactly have they done? ikea would have happened anyway, the belgrade plaza project was already underway whilst labour were in power. maybe we should give them more time, but i won't hold my breath.

I remain unimpressed by both parties, and don't think any of them make a difference - when it counted, Labour were there - and this was old Labour - and we're living with their mess.

Until someone has the guts and money to do it, nothing will happen.

On other news:

http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/01...name_page.html

It appears TATA are still interested in Ansty.