Massive development planned for east of Athlone

Amtmann

IT IS one of the most tantalising announcements in recent months -- promising to cut an entire region's dole queue.

During an eyecatching PR exercise yesterday, Taoiseach Brian Cowen gave his blessing to a project designed to create 10,000 jobs on a 600-acre rural landbank.

The plan is to build a hub dedicated to Chinese factories and other industries which would form a unique European HQ -- just outside Athlone, Co Westmeath. The so-called 'Chinese hub' would give Chinese industry doorstep-access to Europe for their products.

Two thousand Chinese workers would also relocate here in the first phase, the backers claimed yesterday.

Local developers paid €50m for the land at Creggan during the Celtic Tiger peak and, given the property crash, are keen to see the ambitious plan take off.

But last night there were few specific details about the project.

Employers

If successful, the hub would be one of the biggest single private-sector employers in the country, even bigger than Intel or Hewlett Packard.

However, similar ambitious projects that promised huge jobs dividends ended up being mothballed because they ran into planning, legal and financial difficulties.

The Taoiseach confirmed he had met Chinese promoters and businessmen in a bid to hammer out a deal. "It's about exploring the potential of this idea and I have met with some of the promoters to see if we can proceed with it," Mr Cowen said. But he refused to speculate further on the creation of the proposed centre, claiming it is best to take a "step-by-step" approach. "The local authorities are making their constructive response to the ideas that are being put forward and what we have to do now is work with them and show that we are prepared to work with prospective investors to see what emerges," he said.

Creation of the hub would require the rezoning of hundreds of acres of lands in the area of Creggan, on the Dublin side of Athlone.

That process got under way yesterday at Westmeath County Council. Rezoning these lands would also provide for construction of a new school, railway station and hundreds of factory units and apartments.

Junior Minister for local services Michael Finneran last night confirmed he had also met the project's promoters on a number of occasions. One such meeting took place in their Beijing office during his St Patrick's Day trip to China.

Local Fianna Fail TD Mary O'Rourke also met with promoters from the UK, acting on behalf of the Chinese, as far back as 18 months ago.

She said the "dramatic plans" were then shown to the local Chamber of Commerce and to Junior Minister Conor Lenihan. But the whole process went cold until recently, Ms O'Rourke said.

It is understood project managers are keen to set up a trade base where clients can test and buy their products -- rather than having to take the long trip to China. However, one government source said things were still at a "very, very early preliminary stage of even talking" and that the Chinese investors were in talks with a number of other European cities. Mr Finneran last night stressed the project had yet to go through the formal planning processes and there were still a range of issues to be finalised.

Efforts to contact the IDA and establish its level of involvement, if any, proved unsuccessful last night.

- Eoghan MacConnell, Treacy Hogan and Aine Kerr

Irish Independent

AN AMBITIOUS plan that could see a major international trade centre based in Athlone has been discussed by Taoiseach Brian Cowen and the project’s promoters.

The Irish Times understands a consortium of Chinese investors has been in talks with businessmen based in the midlands, including a local developer, solicitor and a restaurateur, for more than a year over the proposed project.

The development, if it goes ahead, would be based within a 300 hectares site on the fringes of Athlone known as Creggan and could create a significant number of jobs, thought to be in the thousands.

It is understood the IDA has also met with the Chinese group both in Ireland and in China, but the development body has declined to comment.

In Tullamore yesterday, Mr Cowen said: “It’s about exploring the potential of this idea, and I have met with some of the promoters, some of the people involved, to work with everyone in the area to see if we can proceed with it.”

It is understood the Chinese group has looked at a number of sites across Europe, and has yet to announce a final decision. It is thought the development would serve as a focal point for Chinese investment in Europe.

Longford-Westmeath Fianna Fáil TD Mary O’Rourke said she met three of the Chinese promoters about 18 months ago in her home.

“There were very elaborate plans all laid out on the floor. And, yes, that was the story they had; they wanted to make it a hub.”

Ms O’Rourke said the group met Minister of State Conor Lenihan in Dublin. The promoters told her the first 2,500 jobs would be Asian nationals.

She said she would like further information on the project.

“I would like, of course, to see it progress, but I would like hard facts as well. I don’t want any project to be one that would give hope without any fact behind it.”

Mr Cowen said Ireland was being viewed in a favourable light because of the “tough measures” being implemented to correct the public finances. “The country is being looked at positively by the international investment community because of the fact that we are taking these decisions,” he said yesterday.

Athlone mayor Mark Cooney said the development would be a major boost for the region.

“It would be marvellous for the town. It is served by the motorway directly off that area, by the Dublin/Galway railway line, so it has everything; all of the technical and major infrastructure is there in place.”

Meanwhile, Irish financial advisory firm FGS is hosting a seminar entitled “Doing Business in China” in the Sheraton hotel in Athlone today.

Announced several weeks ago, organisers say the conference is designed to provide information, relevant points of contact and interaction with others operating in the Chinese market.

Speakers include representatives from the Chinese embassy and Enterprise Ireland.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0622/1224273030638.html

Sponge Bob

This is pie in the sky FF property developer led bollix of the highest order. The IDA got Google to look at Athlone years ago and they said lets get out of here the minute they saw it.

Still ........they already have a name for this thing in Chinese, 這是什麼他媽的

Judgement Day

It reminds me of all the ****e talked when Hong Kong was handed back to the Chinese - remember Hong Kong was going to be relocated to Aberystwyth in Wales amongst other places. Probably Ireland too but my memory is dulled by sheer quantities of ****e it has been forced to absorb over the years.
I assume nobody sees anything wrong with this project being promoted by Biffo in his own backyard? I assume that some FF mucksavage owns all the land? Anyway even if all comes to naught, just think of all the junketing trips to China for FAS/IDA/politicans etc.etc.etc. Whatever happened to that mad idea to bring Las Vegas to Two-mile-Borris? http://www.thurles.info/2009/10/23/casino-planned-for-two-mile-borris/:D

Sponge Bob

Judgement Day wrote: »

I assume that some FF mucksavage owns all the land?

I took 這是什麼他媽的 as a given rather than bother assuming it

Amtmann

Judgement Day wrote: »

It reminds me of all the ****e talked when Hong Kong was handed back to the Chinese - remember Hong Kong was going to be relocated to Aberystwyth in Wales amongst other places. Probably Ireland too but my memory is dulled by sheer quantities of ****e it has been forced to absorb over the years.
I assume nobody sees anything wrong with this project being promoted by Biffo in his own backyard? I assume that some FF mucksavage owns all the land? Anyway even if all comes to naught, just think of all the junketing trips to China for FAS/IDA/politicans etc.etc.etc. Whatever happened to that mad idea to bring Las Vegas to Two-mile-Borris? http://www.thurles.info/2009/10/23/casino-planned-for-two-mile-borris/:D

The planning authority went back to the developer seeking more detail before making a decision. That's where it's at right now.

bacon&cabbage

JEEz you just can't please some people.
We constantly complain that the Govt is doing nothing and then when they do make an attempt at something we complain about that too.:rolleyes:

Maybe this is 'pie in the sky' I don't know, but at least it's an attempt at something.

galwayrush

I wonder if the people who paid 50 million for the site are paid up members of FF.:rolleyes:

Chris_5339762

This has Amgen written all over it.

veryangryman

As a local, I am bloody-well delighted at this and am saddened by people who think that the region doesnt deserve this.

Dublin will survive kids, dont worry

Judgement Day

veryangryman wrote: »

As a local, I am bloody-well delighted at this and am saddened by people who think that the region doesnt deserve this.

Dublin will survive kids, dont worry

I don't think anybody begrudges the east Athlone area getting a jobs boost but this has pre-election bull**** written all over it.

Lando Griffin

veryangryman wrote: »

As a local, I am bloody-well delighted at this and am saddened by people who think that the region doesnt deserve this.

Dublin will survive kids, dont worry

I heard Mary O talking about this on RTE Radio 1 this morning and saying the proposal was handed to her nephew 18 months ago who then handed it up the line to Clown. She has not heard anything since from him but the 2000 workers in phase one will be Chineese so no jobs there and five other countries are being touted including as usual the Germans.

Sponge Bob

So in essence have sold Athlone to the Chinese as a 'special economic zone' complete with dormitories full of Chinese.....instead of filling the local ghost estates lying empty thereabouts ?? Unlike Chinese special economic zones that tend to be on the coast complete with the worlds largest container ports ours is as landlocked as it is possible to be.

How utterly bizarre, even by FF standards.

Atlantic Dawn

Mary "my campaigners worked like blacks" O'Rourke is involved, I hope she doesn't offend the Chinese by being such a general gombeen idiot :rolleyes:

The Word Is Bor

I wonder will this require a new junction or an upgrading to an existing junction on the Athlone 'relief road'?

Judgement Day

Something like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04QoA44c23A

Nuttzz

Reminds me of this thread

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=108843

Judgement Day

What happened to Euro Disney MkII then? More bull**** - if only there was a market for it Ireland would be World leaders.

JupiterKid

Sponge Bob wrote: »

So in essence have sold Athlone to the Chinese as a 'special economic zone' complete with dormitories full of Chinese.....instead of filling the local ghost estates lying empty thereabouts ?? Unlike Chinese special economic zones that tend to be on the coast complete with the worlds largest container ports ours is as landlocked as it is possible to be.

How utterly bizarre, even by FF standards.

Oh, that won't be a problem. China will use its new super powerful space based lasers to blast a giant ship canal through the country to Athlone for its needs. In Chinese fashion with big projects, the people displaced will be offered to be rehoused in 250 square foot flats in the new development.:D

And if the deal with the Chinese falls through, Sure we could get Mary O and Donie Cassidy to fly to Pyongyang to see if Kim Yong Il would be interested...:pac:

BluntGuy

These kind of fantasy projects cannot substitute for an actual jobs policy. I don't begrude Athlone or any region their investment opportunities, but there is little point getting people's hopes up with drivel like this that is highly unlikely to ever come to fruition. At a time when what we really need is a coherent jobs strategy focussed on high-end manufacturing and exports, these one-off announcements amount to little more than simply another chance for Brian and Lenny to spin their spintastic spin:

Mr Cowen said Ireland was being viewed in a favourable light because of the "tough measures" being implemented to correct the public finances. "The country is being looked at positively by the international investment community because of the fact that we are taking these decisions," he said yesterday.

And spin they do.

This quote is interesting:

Local developers paid €50m for the land at Creggan during the Celtic Tiger peak and, given the property crash, are keen to see the ambitious plan take off.

Of course they are. :rolleyes:

Sponge Bob

Pat McDonagh of Supermac fame had a plan for an "arena" around this general part of Athlone. I personally find it hard to imagine that Pat would have been stupid enough to spend €50m on a farm outside Ahhhhloaane with development potential so it must be someone else.

Aidan1

This is pie in the sky FF property developer led bollix of the highest order.

I don't often agree with this poster but ...

Iomega Man

Fairly typical.....everything to Shelbyville again

invinciblePRSTV

Let's file this next to Offaly International airport and the Tipperary Superbowl arena.

Bards

expect more of this - I reckon it has got to do with all the land banks that NAMA overpaid for and now need to increase the value of in order to get a return on investment

D'Peoples Voice

Judgement Day wrote: »

What happened to Euro Disney MkII then? More bull**** - if only there was a market for it Ireland would be World leaders.

lads, lets not be so cynical,
people were very quick to laugh back in 2008 when this was proposed
but now in 2010........:D

Judgement Day

D'Peoples Voice wrote: »

lads, lets not be so cynical,
people were very quick to laugh back in 2008 when this was proposed
but now in 2010........:D

Don't get your point? Having googled this project, which thankfully I had never even heard of, I can find no details regarding its construction or opening. Was it built or were you too being cynical?

I have a better chance of becoming fluent in Mandarin than this pie in the sky plan ever happening!

我不說或能聽懂一個字愛爾蘭華人，但我可以訂購外賣。這是一個數字 2和75加1部分炒飯。



PS you can even hear the transtation
http://translate.google.com/#en|zh-TW|I%20do%20not%20speak%20or%20understand%20a%20single%20word%20of%20irish-chinese%2C%20but%20I%20can%20order%20a%20takeaway.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat's%20a%20number%20two%20and%20a%2075%20plus%20a%20portion%20of%20fried%20rice.

the_dark_side

it shouldn't matter to the Chinese investors who is in power in Ireland if they decide to open up shop in Athlone... so let no one think, 'oh, we'd better vote FF in the next election, because if we don't, the Chinese wont be coming..'
Did it occur to anyone that this area of proposed development is right in Brian Lenihan's back yard

the_dark_side

the_dark_side wrote: »

it shouldn't matter to the Chinese investors who is in power in Ireland if they decide to open up shop in Athlone... so let no one think, 'oh, we'd better vote FF in the next election, because if we don't, the Chinese wont be coming..'
Did it occur to anyone that this area of proposed development is right in Brian Lenihan's electoral constituency

Precisely the reason why (some of us) are not taking it seriously.

mconigol

:rolleyes:...how about announcing some actual jobs!

galwayrush

mconigol wrote: »

:rolleyes:...how about announcing some actual jobs!

'Good news days 'are saved for pre election bull **** announcements.:rolleyes:

Robbo

Why can't I get rid of the image of Mary O'Rourke with a lampshade on her head and a Chinese investor peering in the window at her, like in Father Ted?

The Chinese, a great bunch of lads.

CerebralCortex

Why the hell would you put something like that in Athlone?

galwayrush

CerebralCortex wrote: »

Why the hell would you put something like that in Athlone?

Probably something to do with the people who paid way too much for the land in the first place.:rolleyes: Guess their investment is now immune from the effects of the property crash.;)

Perhaps labour costs are lower in Athlone compared to China.:pac:

Irish and Proud

invinciblePRSTV wrote: »

Let's file this next to Offaly International airport and the Tipperary Superbowl arena.

...buy maybe such off the wall proposals are fronts to distract from other controversial developments in the relevant localities!

Stinicker

Robbo wrote: »

Why can't I get rid of the image of Mary O'Rourke with a lampshade on her head and a Chinese investor peering in the window at her, like in Father Ted?

The Chinese, a great bunch of lads.

Those Chinese, I tells ya, they worked like blacks.

Sure! they can all fly into Arklow International airport :rolleyes:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0625/1224273271194.html

PLANS FOR an international airport near Arklow have been given an enthusiastic welcome by members of Wicklow County Council.

The proposals, backed by businessman Pascal Taggart, envisage the development on a site – as yet unspecified – of about 600 acres south of Arklow town.

Why do we provide English comedians with so much material! :rolleyes:

ishtarcelt

http://www.westmeathindependent.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/09/29/4000476-planning-application-close-at-hand-for-china-development/print

donvito99

i have seen plans for this and have to confirm that it is very real. Although, i still cant see it happening. the buildings themselves look ridiculous!

murphaph

I'm still trying to figure out exactly what is being proposed here!

murphaph

murphaph wrote: »

I'm still trying to figure out exactly what is being proposed here!

My best guess is that a group of speculators have acquired large areas of land to the east of the town and are trying to "sell" it as a future Chinatown, as in an area where Chinese enterprises can establish new business.

Whether the Chinese really want anything to do with it or not, is another story.

KindOfIrish

"Local developers paid €50m for the land at Creggan during the Celtic Tiger peak and, given the property crash, are keen to see the ambitious plan take off."

This is the key to the issue. The land probably cost no more than 5 million at the moment. Somebody wants to help a friend.:D

Amtmann

Can't help but feel that something of this scale should go to Cork, Limerick or Galway rather than Athlone (no offence to Athlone).

drunkmonkey

It needs to go to a Port area, something like they have in Naples where goods can be manufactured with cheap labour and sent all over the world.

Does athlone have a port?

veryangryman

Furet wrote: »

Can't help but feel that something of this scale should go to Cork, Limerick or Galway rather than Athlone (no offence to Athlone).

Plenty of offence taken! :mad: Only messing

Athlone has many advantages over the other 3 though...

1) Cheaper
2) More central
3) Closer to Dublin, while (already mentioned) much cheaper

Lets say (maye pie in sky so wont list this as an adv for now) that this plus airport in Offaly built. Surely the town and its environs will balloon in population . The 10K lampshade jobs will make hundreds if not thousands more jobs in services, expaning the college and other facilities in the area and thus long-term making Athlone into a city perhaps the size of Waterford.

Again its all very ambitious right now, so i do say it with a pinch of salt

veryangryman

To the tune of the Wimax ad...


Athlone.. the new destination
Check out the Chinese checkin into the station
Athlone, next generation
Nearer, cheaper centraller, no big bad cit-ee
For more information, see boards.ie!

murphaph

This sounds indeed like yomeone got burned as is now trying to offload the land onto some unsuspecting Chinese. What these gombeens don't seem to realise is that the Chinese are not a stupid bunch of people, who happily overvalue land and pay for it through the nose.

If a Chinese hub is to be built anywhere in Europe, with the aim of manufacturing for Europe, they will 100% build it in continental Europe, near to good road and rail infrastructure (Czech Republic, for example). They will NOT build it on an island off the coast of Europe where they still have to pay to get their goods "overseas" to the market. The Irish domestic market is totally insignificant to Chinese manufacturers.

None of this stacks up really. The competitive advantage we had at the start of the Celtic Tiger is gone: Cheap labour, english speaking, low tax. All these things can be replicated now in the former communist states which were seen as far too risky just after the fall of the Iron Curtain. That is now resolved and places like the Czech Republic are stable, have cheap labour, excellent transport links, the young people can speak enough English to work on a production line. The engineers etc. will speak good English. We are just too expensive for this carry on...we need to reduce our labour costs or we'll sink into oblivion.

Stinicker

murphaph wrote: »

This sounds indeed like yomeone got burned as is now trying to offload the land onto some unsuspecting Chinese. What these gombeens don't seem to realise is that the Chinese are not a stupid bunch of people, who happily overvalue land and pay for it through the nose.

If a Chinese hub is to be built anywhere in Europe, with the aim of manufacturing for Europe, they will 100% build it in continental Europe, near to good road and rail infrastructure (Czech Republic, for example). They will NOT build it on an island off the coast of Europe where they still have to pay to get their goods "overseas" to the market. The Irish domestic market is totally insignificant to Chinese manufacturers.

None of this stacks up really. The competitive advantage we had at the start of the Celtic Tiger is gone: Cheap labour, english speaking, low tax. All these things can be replicated now in the former communist states which were seen as far too risky just after the fall of the Iron Curtain. That is now resolved and places like the Czech Republic are stable, have cheap labour, excellent transport links, the young people can speak enough English to work on a production line. The engineers etc. will speak good English. We are just too expensive for this carry on...we need to reduce our labour costs or we'll sink into oblivion.

Aren't the Chinese building a railway to Europe so they can bring their goods to market by Rail and vis a vis supply the East coast of the US Carribbean and South Eastern South America by reducing time spent at sea with rail to Europe and sea freight from Cherbourg.

Stinicker

Stinicker wrote: »

Aren't the Chinese building a railway to Europe so they can bring their goods to market by Rail and vis a vis supply the East coast of the US Carribbean and South Eastern South America by reducing time spent at sea with rail to Europe and sea freight from Cherbourg.

Probably! The only thing the Chinese will be building in Europe is a distribution network and outlets for manufactured (in China) goods.

They are in the process of securing supplies of oil and land to suit the homeland. They have recently bought complete oil reserves in situ to prevent that oil ever reaching the open market. they now own huge tracts of land for the production of food for domestic consumption as well.

Stinicker

Deleted User wrote: »

Probably! The only thing the Chinese will be building in Europe is a distribution network and outlets for manufactured (in China) goods.

They are in the process of securing supplies of oil and land to suit the homeland. They have recently bought complete oil reserves in situ to prevent that oil ever reaching the open market. they now own huge tracts of land for the production of food for domestic consumption as well.

Indeed they have been buying up Farmland in New Zealand at an frightening pace, and not sparing money either which is leading Kiwis to sell even more.

Sponge Bob

In Galway we now know Athlone as Wrong Kong