Aberdeen Developments

[maccoinnich]

balls

[The Boy David]

And plenty of them! Best news Aberdeen has had in a long time.

[djmaxliving]

Sadly i can't say the same. What a shame.

[thewonder]

Given the current economic climate, this is pretty big investment for Aberdeen and Scotland. Shame it took so bloody long to get approved!

[AshAshAsh]

Amazing how this finally got passed through three days before a by-election.

Good thing for the area IMO, the North East needs something to provide jobs once the North Sea runs dry. I wonder how many protests there would have been if it weren't a Trump project?

[maccoinnich]

Or, to phrase it another way, what chance would there have been of: a golf course being built on a SSSI; hundreds of luxury houses being built on a greenfield site, despite it being contrary to the Aberdeenshire local plan; and the Scottish Government calling it in, before the developer had even appealed, if it weren't a Trump project?

Yes, the North East needs something to replace oil. We've seen this before over and over again in Scotland that reliance on one industry isn't sensible economic planning. But that doesn't mean accepting every ill conceived offer made by some billionaire with a bad combover.

[Ahhhh]

They better not screw up those dunes, its the best beach in the world IMHO. I used to have great fun leaping off the top of them when I were a lad.

[maccoinnich]

Expect to see nature replaced by a sanitised, artificial, monocultural interpretation of nature.

I'm with Mark Twain—golf is a good walked spoiled.

[da brain]

you shouldnt jump off dunes, it de-stabilises them

[Snudge]

Anyone willing to spend 1billion quid of their own money on a project in the north-east in the current economic climate is mindboggling. Throw in over 1000 permanent jobs. I am no particluar fan of him or golf for that matter, but it´s reality time folks.
Imagine someone wanted to invest 1billion cash into Glasgow IFSD or clydeside just now, we would be creaming ourselves.

[maccoinnich]

From Willie Miller Urban design. Quoted in full, because he has summed it up so well (although the last point goes a tad far):

A banana republic welcomes Trump



the dunes at Menie are the setting for the deplorable Trump proposals The Scottish Government’s approval yesterday of the Trump Organisation’s plans for Menie in Aberdeenshire is wholly unsurprising and utterly shameful. Obviously this is a political decision in the face of compelling environmental, economic and planning reasons for refusing the application. Scotland’s politicians are obviously so completely morally bankrupt that they think that destroying an irreplaceable piece of landscape and habitat for a vast gated estate of timeshare and executive homes is the right thing to do. It seems that it is acceptable and necessary to lay waste to precious assets in the desire to propitiate greedy individuals and corporates and the Government have no shame about dressing this up in specious economic development arguments - First Minister Alex Salmond hailed the news, citing 6,000 possible jobs but of course this is improbable to say the least.

There are a number of levels at which this process is disturbing. One of these is expressed by Edinburgh architect Malcolm Fraser: “I suppose this is us learning to be a good, servile service-economy: to give up our most fragile and valuable natural environments to allow the rich to helicopter in for a spot of golf with associated gated-luxury housing, all tartanised by an architectural style the volume housebuilders would recognise, a Trumpton-meets-the-Shining confection of crowstep gables and carriage lamps”. The jimmy-hat architecture of the outline proposals speaks of these trivial and patronising ambitions.


clubhouse elevation from course

Of course Scotland’s development industry - land agents, developers, builders and of course architects with no shame and few job prospects who have produced so many second and third rate projects like Glasgow Harbour, Edinburgh Waterfront and many others - will be rushing to get a slice of the action. Most of all, any off-message views will be suppressed - best not to break ranks and risk being unemployable.

In an article in the Guardian in June 2008, Simon Jenkins noted that, “The point of environmental planning is not to capitulate to short-term market forces but to channel them to the public good. There can be no public good in building over the Balmedie dunes.” and “The truth is that Scotland is a victim of another colossal Trump try-on. This project is primarily about luxury holiday homes, not fairways. Scotland’s gullible politicians have been taken in by a New York billionaire.”

Wikipedia’s current definition of a banana republic contains much that doesn’t apply to Scotland and much that does, for example, “…a banana republic typically has large wealth inequities, poor infrastructure, poor schools, a “backward” economy, low capital spending, a reliance on foreign capital and money printing, budget deficits, and a weakening currency - rings bells yes?.” Worst of all for planning and the future of Scotland is the absolute lack of confidence and dearth of ideas that this decision says about what the country could be and should be. A sad and embarrassing day.

[Paws]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...st/7715864.stm

Tycoon in £50m city centre offer

One of Scotland's richest businessmen has pledged up to £50m to create a "new heart" of Aberdeen's city centre.

Sir Ian Wood is backing a proposal to develop a new street level city centre square on the site of Union Terrace Gardens.

The funding will be subject to a Scottish Enterprise-funded feasibility study which will determine the cost and scale of the project.

However, plans for the new Peacock Visual Arts centre could be affected.

The feasibility study will look into what private and public sector funding can be accessed.

The aim is to provide Aberdeen with a city centre square to rival the best of any Northern European city.

Scottish Enterprise will commission engineering experts and urban designers to consider the options.

The most ambitious option, which is Sir Ian's vision, would attract his investment of up to £50m - but could require the re-positioning of the new Peacock Visual Arts Contemporary Arts Centre.

The feasibility study will also consider less ambitious options for the site, which it is said would incorporate plans for the arts centre.

Peacock Visual Arts warned it could be badly hit by delays to its project.

Sir Ian said: "The goal is to give Aberdeen a vibrant new heart to reflect both the success of the region and its position as a leading Northern European city.

"The vision is transformational - a street-level square with the very large space over the Denburn Road and railway covered in.

"I see this as the 'people's' square with something for everyone, and how that square will be developed, both above and below ground, is open to public debate."

He explained: "This development is of significant regional, national and international importance and will be a clear statement of Scotland's ambition in the energy industry worldwide.

"Today we are launching the feasibility study and the public debate."

He said he would only be prepared to invest in a scheme which had the "strong support" of the people of Aberdeen and the north east of Scotland.


Aberdeen City Council leader Councillor Kate Dean said: "The regeneration of Union Terrace Gardens has been seriously considered in the past - but for the first time we now have the prospect of significant private sector financing, which has never been on the table before.

"Maximising the space occupied by the gardens would give us the chance to regenerate a far wider area and greatly improve the connections to other parts of the city centre, which at the moment are somewhat disconnected.

"We keenly anticipate the results of the feasibility studies and would encourage everyone in Aberdeen to get involved in the consultations."

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "I look forward to seeing the outcome of the feasibility study.

"It strikes me that in these tough economic times there is all the more reason to think big for the future of the north east of Scotland.

"We should be excited by the scale of his vision and his commitment to ensure great things can be made to happen."


A Peacock Visual Arts spokesperson said: "Whilst we would always welcome investment in the city centre, Sir Ian Wood's announcement puts the current Contemporary Arts Centre development in jeopardy.

"A delay in proceeding with Peacock's project will likely mean that we will lose our design team, architect and campaign team. There would be immediate redundancies at Peacock. Our funding package is time-limited and we must use it or lose it.

"It is unlikely that the project could be revived should Sir Ian's feasibility study introduce further delays into the process. We have written to Sir Ian to explain the challenges that his scheme and its timescale present to us."

Sir Ian is chairman of the multi-million pound energy services firm, John Wood Group.

It is one of the UK's largest energy services companies.

Sir Ian has chaired the company since 1982 and was awarded a knighthood in the 1994 honours list.

[maccoinnich]

More on the impact on Northern Lights / Peacock:

City arts plan ‘sabotaged’ by millionaire
By Edd McCracken
ABERDEEN DEVELOPMENT: Fears are growing for the future of the new Peacock Centre, the main centre of contemporary visual arts in the northeast of Scotland.

FEARS ARE growing for the future of the main centre of contemporary visual arts in the northeast of Scotland following last week's announcement of North Sea oil millionaire Sir Ian Wood's ambitious plans for Aberdeen's Union Terrace Gardens.

Critics say the scheme will derail the existing plans for Peacock Visual Arts' new venue, potentially leaving the centre homeless and ending its 34-year history in the city. One called Wood's plans "sabotage".

Last Tuesday Wood unveiled a plan to raise the sunken gardens to street level, creating a new city square that he likened to "a grand Italian piazza and a mini Central Park". He pledged up to £50 million of his own money, to be matched by public funding pending a feasibility study.
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But Peacock Visual Arts, housed in a converted church hall off the Castlegate, has already secured planning permission and 70% of the funding for a new £13.5m home on the same site, planned to open in 2010. The organisation said it was told of the new plan only a week before the announcement.

While the feasibility study, commissioned by Scottish Enterprise and to be delivered in March, will factor in a new location for Peacock, due to the time and project-specific nature of the centre's funding any delay or change could kill the project and potentially Peacock itself. The lease on Peacock's current home runs out in 2011.

Lindsay Gordon, director of Peacock Visual Arts, said that while Wood's gesture to the city was "incredibly generous and a fantastic opportunity for the city", its timing has created significant issues for the centre.

...continues at the Sunday Herald.

[M_Riaz]

eA

Aberdeen Centre for Contemporary Arts
Facilities: contemporary arts & house galleries, printmaking, television & dance studios, workshops, education suite
Design: Brisac Gonzalez Architects

Scottish Government approve plans, March 2008:
The £12.5m development is expected to be completed by 2010. The plans have been praised by Architecture and Design Scotland. The new Union Terrace Gardens centre will attract over 200,000 visitors per year to the North-east.

[IMG]http://*************************/aberdeen/jpgs/peacock_bg280907_extview.jpg[/IMG]

[AshAshAsh]

Originally Posted by M_Riaz

eA

Aberdeen Centre for Contemporary Arts
Facilities: contemporary arts & house galleries, printmaking, television & dance studios, workshops, education suite
Design: Brisac Gonzalez Architects

Scottish Government approve plans, March 2008:
The £12.5m development is expected to be completed by 2010. The plans have been praised by Architecture and Design Scotland. The new Union Terrace Gardens centre will attract over 200,000 visitors per year to the North-east.

[IMG]http://*************************/aberdeen/jpgs/peacock_bg280907_extview.jpg[/IMG]

I'm a bit confused here. If this is definetly going ahead, surely the plan for the city square that was put forwar last week can't go ahead as well?

Trying to remember the layout of that particular area, I don't see how both of them would fit.

[maccoinnich]

Well therein lies the rub: the city square plan procludes the Peacock Visual Arts plan.

[AshAshAsh]

Ah, sorry I'm being really thick. I didn't realise that that was Peacock.

I quite liked the view from the Union Street bridge (or Pizza Hut), so I hope it wins out over Mr.Wood's proposal.

[albatross]

According to the Bon Accord Centre's plan Aberdeen Woolies is closing down, and will be replaced by a Top Shop.

http://www.landsecuritiesretail.com/...cord/16534.pdf

[zipper]

Trump lines up team to tee off £1bn golf dream



DONALD Trump today declared work is about to tee off at his Balmedie estate.

The billionaire has unveiled the team that will make his £1 billion golf resort dream come true.

And it comprises many North-east specialists.

Mr Trump said: "It is extremely exciting that the project has become a reality.

"We are working through the planning process and as soon as we receive our detailed planning approval, the golf course construction can begin."

The Menie Estate plan includes a 450-bedroom hotel, 950 holiday homes, 500 houses - and a golf course Mr Trump predicts will be the "world's greatest".

The clubhouse will be designed by Huntly-based Acanthus DF.

The project's engineers will be W A Fairhurst & Partners and Raeburn Drilling and Geotechnical Ltd will carry out ground investigations.

Renovation of the 14th Century Menie House - which will become the "Trump family residence in Scotland" - has already started.

Fraser's of Ellon are supplying carpets and flooring and Interiors Unlimited of Inverurie will carry out the interior design. Other firms involved include Bon Accord Granite.

Renovation work is set for completion early next year when Mr Trump is due to visit. The masterplan for the site will be developed by Glasgow-based Gareth Hoskins Architects which is already working on expansion plans for Aberdeen's Bon Accord and St Nicholas centres.

Mr Hopkins said: "We can come up with a design that works with the landscape, something that really belongs there and is at a world-class level. We understand the site and how to take this forward."

The announcement of the project team - to be managed by Neil Hobday - comes while Mr Trump is facing difficulties elsewhere involving bank loan allegations.

But development director George Sorial said: "I don't think we have done anything but indicate we are extremely committed to Aberdeen.

"You don't spend tens of millions of pounds on a site that you don't intend developing."

Copyright © 2008 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Source: Lexis-Nexis
www.lexisnexis.com

[maccoinnich]

Martha Schwartz landscape architects now involved in Union Terrace Gardens. From e-architect:

Team assembled for Union Terrace Gardens project

Scottish Enterprise has appointed the engineering and design team for the Union Terrace Gardens Project. It will be led by Aberdeen based Architects, Planning Consultants & Project Managers, Halliday Fraser Munro who have assembled a world class team of consultants to ensure that the challenge is achieved.

The vision is to create an accessible open space that will integrate the Union Street retail and business thoroughfare with the cultural heart of His Majesty's Theatre and Aberdeen Art Gallery, whilst providing the context for a new Contemporary Arts Centre. The design team have been asked to deliver a technical and outline design and cost appraisal for three development options:

decking over the gardens, road and railway at street level
partial decking of the space
enhancement of the existing gardens without any street level decking

Each development option will consider how the proposed Contemporary Arts Centre may be integrated and identify any possible commercial opportunities arising from the design proposals. The task is to identify what is technically feasible, taking into account engineering, design, commercial, legal, and planning factors and establish an outline cost for each proposal. The final report and recommendations will be available by May 2009.

Scottish Enterprise Director David Littlejohn commented “we were really pleased with the quality of all the submissions and are delighted to appoint the team brought together by Halliday Fraser Munro. The inclusion of Martha Schwartz Partners is particularly welcome given their expertise in designing great public spaces around the world that can help drive city competitiveness”.

John Halliday, Chief Executive of Halliday Fraser Munro, commented “Our international team is globally recognised, yet firmly rooted in the city, and brings together all the skills which this project needs to produce a credible solution.”

“The strength of the team lies in the combined extensive experience, innovative talents and shared vision of its members who are all focussed on delivering a successful outcome to this extremely complex challenge Aberdeen City Centre must be the vibrant heart of the region, the hub for all those that live, work and visit, be that for business or pleasure”.