Editor's Blog July 30th 2012 - Developments stopped? Construction halted?
I went to the cinema yesterday, a little off subject, but thought I should set the scene so as you can do the same, should you choose. After having watched Christian Bale play Batman for a good two hours and forty-five minutes, which I thoroughly enjoyed, we left the cinema and headed downstairs in the Leisure Centre to grab a quick coffee before we left.
Whilst there, I noticed a beautiful scaled model of Gibraltar, well not the whole of Gibraltar, just the reclaimed western side, concentrating on the “new developments” that should have been built. It suddenly hit me… Development has stopped and so has construction, hasn’t it?
Looking at this model, I saw the crazily designed Mid Town project, which should have started construction some time ago, with it’s glass features, park area and much needed, vast number of parking spaces that were going to be built. This give us 4 towers so far that have not been built.
But it doesn’t stop there… Across the way to the West, the towering heights of King’s Wharf, which was supposed to be a 2 phase construction project, with Quay 27 having already been built and, well, no sign of Quay 29 any time soon. That’s strange I though to myself and continued to look at the model.
On the site where the Yacht club is was another “art-deco/ modern / well just ugly” building that was supposed to be built too, racking us up to already 5 tower blocks and one monstrosity not built yet. What else hasn’t been built?
I remember hearing about the World Trade Centre office building that was so publicly advertised and announced and if I remember correctly somebody saying would be finished in 2013…. Anyone seen this being built?
What about the tower that belongs in the middle of the two Ocean Village blocks, where a lonely, one storey, Ford Garage currently sits in the middle? Wasn’t that going to be a hotel at one point?
Even our stunning new air terminal, whose real cost I am still unsure of, isn’t complete and in fact we have a large sign up saying that it is “Landing spring 2012”. Is it now?
The only project that I have seen that is well under way at the moment, is a brand new, luxury, state of the art, remarkably expensive new development somewhere towards the top of the Rock. Buena Vista Park Villas, sounds amazing, and looks even better… Townhouses and Villas all priced over £1m, and here Eddie was thinking we were in a bit of a financial crisis…
Who are these houses for; do we have an abundance of wealth to that extreme here in Gibraltar? And how is it, we aren’t building more affordable (not cheap) housing for everyone to be able to buy? I don’t know maybe it’s just me, but I would love to see the development plans and schedules for Gibraltar over the next 4 years…
Brought back from the Fires of Mordor, by Eddie.
