Babylon Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 "One of Leicester's best-known buildings has been taken over by a bank after the multi-million pound scheme to turn it into offices and shops hit financial trouble. St George's Central, in St George's Way – widely known as the Blue Tower – has been repossessed by the Anglo Irish Bank because of difficulties finding tenants. Regeneration bosses said they had no plans to forcibly buy the £33m scheme, which is three-quarters empty, as part of the redevelopment area. It comes after the man appointed by the bank to run the property says he was confident of filling the development. The former British Telecom and Royal Mail office complex has been owned by Magnet Property Investments, of London, for the past decade. Kevin Mersh, a director at NB Real Estate in London, has been appointed by Anglo Irish – Magnet's biggest creditor – to find tenants for the site. He said the property was in an attractive location, but it was "not without its challenges". He said he would look at ways of wooing potential occupiers. "We will give incentives to attract tenants," said Mr Mersh. "We would offer rent-free periods." The site has planning consent for 140,000 sq ft of offices over four storeys and 58,000 sq ft of shops and leisure outlets on the ground floor. It includes a 135-room Premier Inn hotel in the bottom half of the tower and 24 occupied flats at the top of the base unit. The site has consent for another 51 flats at the top of the tower. Mr Mersh did not rule out re-painting the 269ft blue tower, a colour choice which has prompted criticism. He said he had also taken charge of 11 other Magnet Property Investments on behalf of the Anglo Irish Bank. He said Magnet had not gone into administration. Amir Zarbafi, who has fronted the St George's development for the past seven years, said he was no longer connected with the building after Magnet ended a consultancy contract with his company, Standford Properties "I was never a shareholder or a director of Magnet," he said. "Standford Properties were contracted to fight the compulsory purchase order." Magnet also caused controversy, in 2005, when it erected a giant sign at the side of the building criticising the people in charge of the city's regeneration plans. David Hughes, chief executive of Prospect Leicestershire, the agency charged with redeveloping the city, said it had no plans to look at a compulsory purchase order. He said he was keen to incorporate the building into the multi-million pound office quarter planned for the area around the railway station. Anglo Irish Bank declined to comment. No-one from Magnet Property Investments could be reached for comment."
Guest Bilo Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 Demolish. Replace with 270ft statue of Chris Weale to annoy Fox92. Job done.
Ford Super Sunday Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 Demolish. Replace with 270ft statue of Chris Weale nobbing Fox92's mum to annoy him. Job done. Edited
Guest Bilo Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 I nearly went there but decided it was a bit much. You obviously have no such qualms.
Cobbo Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 Wish we could demolish it. But it's surely too close to the station etc. Them there builders in the past have a lot to answer for.
lou Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 Id be delighted if they repainted the bloody thing... dont think it comes with any parking which is probably one reason they cant get tenants? Maybe not though.
samlcfc Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 That building is awesome. I like it but probably purely for its randomness. Stands out so much
MikeyT Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 Hate it, hate it, hate it. Please someone give it a coat of paint. Hideous monstrosity.
Guest Bilo Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 That building is awesome. I like it but probably purely for its randomness. Stands out so much If I had a wank in the middle of Morrison's fruit and veg aisle, I'd stand out too.
Lillehamring Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 i hope they keep it, it's always been there since i've been going into leicester and there aren't many highrises in leicester anyway.... trouble is, now they've messed it about so much, the only thing that will make it look decent is recladding (but much better than thames tower), and no one is going to pay for that...
Fox92 Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 Demolish. Replace with 270ft statue of Chris Weale to annoy Fox92. Job done. Good job I don't live in Leicester then.
Finnegan Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 You can't demolish it. It's an important part of Leicester's cultural heritage.
davieG Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 The Council should move in they're looking at the possibility for new premises. They would then be shite inside and out! NB - For the attention of Ultra's lawyers this is a joke! A bit like the Council, Oops sorry that was a joke as well.
lou Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 The Council should move in they're looking at the possibility for new premises.They would then be shite inside and out! NB - For the attention of Ultra's lawyers this is a joke! A bit like the Council, Oops sorry that was a joke as well.
Zingari Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 they should try and get Larry Silverstein to take out the lease on the place , it would most likely fall to the ground in a few days
lildave3 Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 I expected this to be a response to the Green Triangle thread.
Bellend Sebastian Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 And there I was thinking that painting it blue and sticking bits of Lego in the windows would make the tenants come flocking to the door. You couldn't make it up. This country etc
lou Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 I expected this to be a response to the Green Triangle thread. I thought it was another Steve Howard hate-thread...
jonthefox Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 funny how the bowstring bridge gets demolished, and yet lcc deem fit to ok this.. wierd buggers.
davieG Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 funny how the bowstring bridge gets demolished, and yet lcc deem fit to ok this..wierd buggers. Simples DMU didn't want this!
Daggers Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 The Council should move in they're looking at the possibility for new premises.They would then be shite inside and out! NB - For the attention of Ultra's lawyers this is a joke! A bit like the Council, Oops sorry that was a joke as well.
Ford Super Sunday Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 funny how the bowstring bridge gets demolished, and yet lcc deem fit to ok this..wierd buggers. The logistics and the upheaval caused by a controlled demolition of that building (I imagine that's the only way of tearing it down, unless they do it floor by floor) would be absolutely immense, and caused unprecedented action. Also, the bridge was a trillion times more useless and delapedated than that building.
davieG Posted 16 December 2009 Posted 16 December 2009 The logistics and the upheaval caused by a controlled demolition of that building (I imagine that's the only way of tearing it down, unless they do it floor by floor) would be absolutely immense, and caused unprecedented action.Also, the bridge was a trillion times more useless and delapedated than that building. Due to neglect from the Council and was unique in it's design. I'd imagine the town hall would look dilapidated if they failed to maintain it for 15 years. Look around there's buildings of historical and architectural interest being criminally neglected by a council that has the nerve to threaten legal action against private landlords but fails to protect the buildings that have been put in the trust of the Council, Leicester Castle to name just one!
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.