Tuesday 17 November 2015

QUEEN'S PLACE LONDON - A CASINO DEVELOPMENT FARCE?



Queen's Place London
The British Government and the Destination London Consortium have reached contractual close on the three billion pound Queen's Place London Integrated Resort Development. Contractual close represents a key aspect of the final stage of the procurement process, which has been successfully delivered by the Government.
The British Government in partnership with the Destination London Consortium will deliver economic growth for Britain with the creation of more than 2000 construction jobs, and 8000 ongoing jobs when the Integrated Resort Development is operational in 2022.
The revitalised precinct will provide improved facilities for everyday use and public events, showcasing London to locals, others from the UK, and international visitors.
Site works are anticipated to commence by 2017.


What Queen's Place London will deliver
Queen's Place London will be a unique and vibrant new world city development that attracts visitors and investment, reconnects the activity of London city to the river, preserves and celebrates London's heritage, and delivers these high quality public spaces:
  • more that 12 football fields of redeveloped and enhanced public realm
  • a new pedestrian bridge to the other side of the Thames
  • an iconic signature “Curved” building, including a spectator feature Sky Platform with restaurants and bars fully accessible to the public
  • five new premium hotel brands – including London's first six star hotel
  • three residential towers
  • a new department store
  • about 50 food and beverage outlets
  • a riverfront moonlight cinema
  • a British Hotel and Hospitality School partnership with the Government
  • a £272 million payment to the Government
  • a guarantee of £880 million payment in casino taxes for the first ten years of operation
  • £1.69 billion increase in tourism
  • 1.39 additional tourists per annum
  • £4 billion to the Government Gross Product
  • and lots, lots more too!

Location
Queen's Place marks the site where London built its royal palace and abbey outside its city walls in the countryside 950 years ago. It is now the place where the history and foundations of the capital will be transformed into a contemporary expression of London as a new world city.
Queen's Place will be the hub that connects the defining parts of the city – the Parliamentary Precinct; the Abbey; the Business Precinct; the Embankment; the Eye; and the River Thames, and anything else nearby too.
The redevelopment area is government-owned land, free, generally located between Westminster and the Embankment tube stations and Whitehall.
The area contains significant heritage buildings, a number of under-utilised government buildings as well as undeveloped riverfront land along the Embankment.


Probity Code of Practice
A probity code of practice has been established for Queen's Place London and independent probity advisors have been appointed to oversee the project.

Integrated Resort Developments
The British Government is offering as many casino licences for major Integrated Resort Developments as it can fit into other parts of the country.


All images are copyright Destination London Consortium and are for concept purposes only - 2014.
These images are 'arty impressions' designed to expose issues. They may be varied without notice.

NOTE
This piece is pure farce:


see also:
and
and



The critique of this casino proposal for Brisbane is that the development needs to be located elsewhere in the city. To give the city a 'casino core' that becomes a hub for everything around it, including parliament and the river, is simply irrational. A city should not be imposed upon in such a manner. To see  more clearly what the scheme is doing to Brisbane, and to better understand the qualities of the text, both the proposal and its blurb need to be placed into another context. Hence the cut-and-paste of the images of the development with those the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, and the redrafting of the words. At least the name of the 'integrated development' might make more sense in Britain's capital.



23 NOVEMBER 2015

A note sent to the Premier of Queensland:

Premier,

After consulting a colleague, I sent off an E-mail to all members of parliament that provided a link to a commentary on the proposed casino: see - http://voussoirs.blogspot.com.au/2015/11/queens-place-london-casino-development_16.html This site had further links to other reviews. Some members responded with 'auto replies' that try to give the sense of being concerned. What members may not realize is that while the 'auto reply' might make it appear the member is interested and is listening, the site that was referred to actually counts and records the number of 'looks' and the geographical locations of these linkages.

Since sending 89 E-mails, there has been, at best, only a handful of politicians who have bothered to click on the link to even look at the site, let alone read it, consider it, review it, and think about the matters being raised, and to further explore the other articles on the subject. This complete lack of interest in public and professional opinion, let alone any public debate or review, shows government, not 'by the people, for the people,' but 'by the politicians, for the politicians.'

One might have thought it easy enough to click on a link, but no. It seems that any rationally analytical, perhaps dissenting position on the casino gets shoved aside, ignored in favour of the over-exhuberant, super-optimistic hype, and the gleeful anticipation of enormous numbers of predicted dollars: “Forget it. It's a done deal,” has been the comment given to one colleague.


It is not a very good look when serious matters on the future of Brisbane get treated in such an off-handed manner. It gives one no confidence at all when the detailed report by the Institute of Architects gets the same treatment as this simple link has been given.


THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE

the inspiration for the farce

Queen's Wharf Brisbane

The Department of State Development and the Destination Brisbane Consortium reach contractual close

On Monday 16 November 2015 the Queensland Government confirmed it had reached contractual close on the $3 billion Queen's Wharf Brisbane Integrated Resort Development. Contractual close represents a key aspect of the final stage of the procurement process, which has been successfully delivered by the Department of State Development.
The Destination Brisbane Consortium—The Star Entertainment Group (formerly Echo Entertainment Group), Far East Consortium (Australia) and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises—is now the contractor responsible for delivering the world-class tourism, leisure and entertainment precinct in the heart of the Brisbane CBD.
The Queensland Government in partnership with the Destination Brisbane Consortium will deliver economic growth for Queensland with the creation of more than 2000 construction jobs and 8000 ongoing jobs when the Integrated Resort Development is operational in 2022.
The revitalised precinct will provide improved facilities for everyday use and public events, showcasing Brisbane to locals, interstate and international visitors.
Site works are anticipated to commence in 2017.

For further information visit www.destinationbrisbaneconsortium.com.au.
View the Destination Brisbane Consortium galleries:

What Queen's Wharf Brisbane will deliver

Queen's Wharf Brisbane will be a unique and vibrant new world city development that attracts visitors and investment, reconnects the activity of the Brisbane city centre to the river, preserves and celebrates Brisbane's heritage, and delivers these high quality public spaces:
  • more than 12 football fields of redeveloped and enhanced public realm
  • a new pedestrian bridge to South Bank
  • an iconic signature “Arc” building, including a spectacular feature Sky Deck, with restaurants and bars fully accessible to the public
  • five new premium hotel brands - including the Ritz Carlton and Brisbane's first 6 star hotel
  • three residential towers
  • a new department store
  • around 50 food and beverage outlets
  • a riverfront moonlight cinema
  • a Queensland Hotel and Hospitality School partnership with TAFE Queensland
  • $272 million payments to the State
  • a guarantee of $880 million in casino taxes for the first ten years of operations
  • $1.69 billion annual increase in tourism
  • 1.39 million additional tourists per annum
  • $4 billion to the Gross State Product

Priority Development Area

TheQueen's Wharf Brisbane Priority Development Area (PDA) was declared by Economic Development Queensland on 28 November 2014, to facilitate the planning and delivery of the Queen's Wharf Brisbane Integrated Resort Development and establish the necessary policy environment to support the intended development outcome for the site.
Public notification of the proposed development scheme for the Queen's Wharf Brisbane PDA was held from 7 August 2015 to 21 September 2015 (the submission period). The proposed development scheme is the planning document that will assist in planning, carrying out, promoting, coordinating and controlling the development of land in the Queen's Wharf Brisbane PDA.
During the submission period all interested parties including the community, residents, and business operators were invited to view Economic Development Queensland's proposed development scheme and make a written submission for consideration by the Minister for Economic Development Queensland (MEDQ).
The MEDQ is reviewing all responses and will consider the community and industry's submissions for the proposed development scheme.
This submissions report is being prepared by Economic Development Queensland identifying the issues and how they have been addressed and what changes should be made to the development scheme.
The final development scheme and submissions report will be made available on theDepartment of Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning website.

Location

Queen's Wharf marks the place where Brisbane started 190 years ago, and is now the place where the history and foundations of our capital will be transformed into a contemporary expression of Brisbane as a new world city.
Queen's Wharf Brisbane will be the hub that connects the defining parts of the city – the Botanic Gardens, the Queen Street Mall, the Cultural Precinct, South Bank, the Parliamentary Precinct and the Brisbane River.
The redevelopment area is state-owned land, generally located between the Brisbane River and George Street and between Alice and Queen Streets.
The area contains significant heritage buildings, a number of under-utilised government buildings as well as neglected riverfront land under the Riverside Expressway.

Key dates


Timing
Description
May 2012
Announcement of the Government Precinct Redevelopment (now Queen's Wharf Brisbane)
January 2014
Registration of Interest process completed
March 2014
Expression of Interest process completed
July to October 2014
Request for Detailed Proposals process undertaken
November 2014 to July 2015
Assessment and Contract Negotiation with the final two proponents
July 2015
Destination Brisbane Consortium announced as the preferred proponent for Queen's Wharf Brisbane
November 2015
Queensland Government and the Destination Brisbane Consortium reach contractual close
2017
Anticipated start of construction activities
2018
Commence foundations for the core development area
2019
Foundations, car park completed and heritage work commences
2020
Core development starts to take shape as construction progresses above ground
2021
Internal fitout commences of the Integrated Resort Development buildings
2022
Opening of the core Integrated Resort Development including hotels and all public realm areas and conversion begins of the Treasury building and beneath Queens Gardens creating a retail zone linking Queen Street Mall to the heart of the precinct
2024
Anticipated opening of the repurposed Treasury building
Timings are subject to weather and construction conditions

Probity Code of Practice

A Probity Code of Practice has been established for Queen's Wharf Brisbane and independent probity advisers have been appointed to oversee the project.

Integrated Resort Developments

The Queensland Government is offering up to two additional casino licences for major Integrated Resort Developments in other parts of Queensland.


http://www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/major-projects/queens-wharf-brisbane.html


NOTE

14 February 2016
It is strange how farce can become so real. In The Guardian, 14 February 2016, Mark Townsend has written a report titled Will Self joins London ‘mass trespass’ over privatisation of public space: see -
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/13/will-self-mass-trespass-london-protest
Even the associated image looks strangely familiar!


21 February 2016


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