Greenpoint Workers Striking

Mod_note - New thread created - no point resurrecting an thread that has been lying dormant for 18 months. ;)
 
When the workers strike because of transport problems it points to one of the real issues that will plaque Green Point for decades to come and that is the fact that it was not the best position for the Stadium in the first place as it is situated on the far side of Cape Town away from many of the people that would enjoy a good game of soccer.
Furthermore once 2010 has come and gone this massive stadium will be difficult to fill from it's sheer size and any other major events held in future at this venue will be one big traffic logjam after another.

From a Town Planning point of view I am surprised. Under normal situations without political interference this sort of Development should have taken heed of the problems surrounding a place like Newlands as every time there is Rugby or Cricket played at that venue one has to clamour for parking or park miles away and walk. The only redeeming point about Newlands is that the Railway runs past it, but this is not the case with Green Point as Cape Town Station is several kilometres away and people would need to be ferried by bus to get anywhere near the new Stadium.
I hear that The Western Province Rugby Club may move it's venue to Green Point post 2010, which would be a better Stadium I am sure, but have a knock on effect on the surrounding businesses in Newlands that have relied on the games played there since before I can remember.

Otherwise I can only imagine The Waterfront, The Hotels, B&B's etc in that area are going to boom come 2010.
 
Just to get an idea of the boom around the stadium

CBD - R25.5 billion incl. CTICC expansion R800m
Waterfront - R7 billion
Urban park - R120 million
Inner city bus system and train station - R2.095 billion
Transport upgrades to city transporting 700,000 daily - R3-4billion
 
BTTB said:
Furthermore once 2010 has come and gone this massive stadium will be difficult to fill from it's sheer size and any other major events held in future at this venue will be one big traffic logjam after another.
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I have been arguing this same point since the start of the whole 2010 bid. Massive stadiums were going to be built for 2-3 weeks of soccer...and then?

I'm very worried that the 2010 spectacle is going to be just that, a spectacle. Afterward, South Africans are going to be left with a county that looks like a wild house party took place, with the Host being left to clean up their own place by themselves.

I've heard rumors that the idea is to bid for the Olympics after 2010? I surely don't hope because of one ski resort, we attempt to bid for the Winter Olympics as well...
 
What happened to Germany when the World Cup finished there? IIRC the event was a major pump to their brand strength.
 
Fudzy said:
What happened to Germany when the World Cup finished there? IIRC the event was a major pump to their brand strength.
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True. Remember that Germany is part of the EU, therefore surrounded by countries that have no issues with you visiting across border. In SAfrica's case, "visitors" from across the border are mostly coming here to stay, not to play/watch soccer.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to downplay the 2010 event. I'm watching all the developments as the months running up to the event grow fewer and fewer, and as much as I want to believe that the 2010 W/Cup will do wonders for SAfrica, the current happenings prior to the show is a bit concerning...to put it mildly.
 
The Green point Stadium will receive a private operator who will lease the stadium for 30 years. The value around R265 million and the operator will be required to maintain, operate and market the stadium along with the urban park. They will have the resources needed to attract large and small events to the stadium.

It is highly likely the Newlands that offers no future, will be demolished and WP will move into the new stadium. Dubaiworld and L&R are currently working with the city 2010 transport planners on the grand avenue linking the stadium to the waterfront.

An announcement w.r.t to the private operator of the stadium will be made before the end of the year so that final details regarding the post 2010 legacy of the stadium and the various uses of the various spaces can be finalized during construction.

Cape Town will bid for the 2020 Olympic Games in 2011 and the host city will be announced in 2013. If successful a temporary athletics stadium similar to the London 2012 proposal will be constructed at Wingfield.
 
capetownguy said:
Cape Town will bid for the 2020 Olympic Games in 2011 and the host city will be announced in 2013. If successful a temporary athletics stadium similar to the London 2012 proposal will be constructed at Wingfield.
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Youngsfield in another venue which makes planning sense.
Actually was my suggestion for the 2010 Stadium. :)
 
BTTB said:
Youngsfield in another venue which makes planning sense.
Actually was my suggestion for the 2010 Stadium. :)
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Yes I've seen it and my suggestions instead include an equestrian course based at Kenilworth Racecourse, surrounded by an urban park stretching across nearby sports fields, youngsfield and incorporating the golf course. All sports facilities in this park will be upgraded and modular stadium structures will be relocated from the racecourse to the nearby soccer clubs after the games.
 
Youngsfield's future??

capetownguy said:
Yes I've seen it and my suggestions instead include an equestrian course based at Kenilworth Racecourse, surrounded by an urban park stretching across nearby sports fields, youngsfield and incorporating the golf course. All sports facilities in this park will be upgraded and modular stadium structures will be relocated from the racecourse to the nearby soccer clubs after the games.
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Interesting. Are you a Planner or perhaps work for The City or both? :p
There is still The Olympics post 2010, so who knows. Youngsfield may still become a Sporting Venue, although development around this ground so far has merely been talk.

At this stage I think The Department of Public Works who owns the land want to keep Youngsfield for possible future Defence uses. A Cabinet Minister told me this. One has to be prepared for war I suppose?
On the other hand a couple of years ago I read that it was one of the sites mentioned in Public Participation Documents for Low Cost Housing. I have those documents in my cupboard.

A few year back I tackled The Valuation Board about this issue around Low Cost Housing at Youngsfield. The members of The Board did not deny the plan and in actual fact knew all about it. I was challenging the valuation on a commercial property I own in the area and the lack lustre performance of Business Properties relative to the Northern Suburbs. There were other points about planning in the area, but let me not get into that now.

Had The 2010 Soccer Stadium to have been built at Youngsfield we would not have had the Strike recently about Transport to and from Green Point as Youngsfield borders onto Wetton and Ottery Roads, well known bus and taxi routes.
 
BTTB said:
Interesting. Are you a Planner or perhaps work for The City or both? :p
There is still The Olympics post 2010, so who knows. Youngsfield may still become a Sporting Venue, although development around this ground so far has merely been talk.

At this stage I think The Department of Public Works who owns the land want to keep Youngsfield for possible future Defence uses. A Cabinet Minister told me this. One has to be prepared for war I suppose?
On the other hand a couple of years ago I read that it was one of the sites mentioned in Public Participation Documents for Low Cost Housing. I have those documents in my cupboard.

A few year back I tackled The Valuation Board about this issue around Low Cost Housing at Youngsfield. The members of The Board did not deny the plan and in actual fact knew all about it. I was challenging the valuation on a commercial property I own in the area and the lack lustre performance of Business Properties relative to the Northern Suburbs. There were other points about planning in the area, but let me not get into that now.

Had The 2010 Soccer Stadium to have been built at Youngsfield we would not have had the Strike recently about Transport to and from Green Point as Youngsfield borders onto Wetton and Ottery Roads, well known bus and taxi routes.
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The Green Point site in my opinion is best. The transport allowance demand is ridiculous.

What we need to work on is the combination of a mobile and easily accessible metropolitan area combined with the maximization of urban economic opportunities.

The Green Point stadium whether opponents of the stadium like it or not unlocks unprecedented amounts of investment in cape town and the cbd. The employment it creates is sustainable and unrivaled. This is when the public transport network becomes important and this is how R7 billion on transport until 2010 will be spent.

Capetonians must realize that national gvt. has handed this stadium to us on a plate. The highest contribution in south african history to a sports facility. The fact that a private operator will run the stadium is wise wise move on the part of the city
 
capetownguy said:
Capetonians must realize that national gvt. has handed this stadium to us on a plate. The highest contribution in south african history to a sports facility.
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Not quite on a plate. The city had to put up quite a bit of the budget and then Investec had to come to the party to bail them out for a couple mil shortfall.
 
CBD not what it used to be.

McSack said:
Not quite on a plate. The city had to put up quite a bit of the budget and then Investec had to come to the party to bail them out for a couple mil shortfall.
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The couple of Billion promised by Government - does that cover Road Upgrades, Water and Electrical Reticulation?
If not then that will have to be paid by the Cape Town Residents somewhere along the line which is obviously needed but sad as there is so much money needed for similar projects in other parts of the Cape which are overlooked time and time again.

The CBD of Cape Town should be self supportive by now. It is the oldest or nearly the oldest town in the country!? (The first landing near Blouberg/Melkbos could be the oldest formal Town in SA)
However there are problems in The Cape Town CBD - the lack of buyers for these properties which is all too evident from a Property Auction I attended and witnessed at the CTICC, hosted by Auction Alliance on the 2nd of October 2007. You cannot sell Retail and Office Space in Cape Town's CBD and in many cases the Auctioneer's state quite clearly that changing Office Space for Residential Purposes is a very real option for a Landlord.

The feasibly of The Green Point Stadium in years to come will remain to be seen.
 
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McSack said:
Not quite on a plate. The city had to put up quite a bit of the budget and then Investec had to come to the party to bail them out for a couple mil shortfall.
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True, R400 million of R2.85 billion. In terms of the world class stadium we are getting, Cape Town was handed the stadium on a plate. Thats the consensus amongst the urban, transport and city planners involved with the stadium. R2 billion national allocation for a sports facility is a first in South African history. This does not include the national government transport allocation of close to R1 billion.

The feasibilty of the stadium is now in the hands of the private operator who will run and maintain both the stadium and urban park for close to R300 million. They have the resources to market and therefore attract events to the stadium. WP rugby will probably move into the new stadium and Newlands will most likely be demolished.
 
I suppose now the taxi drivers will strike because these workers are using a special bus instead of the taxis :rolleyes:
 
taxi drivers dont strike...they block roads and get violent..oh wait that sounds like the typical south africa strike
 
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