Dublin City Business Association and public transport

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Who exactly are the Dublin City Business Association? Who's running the show? And why are they against public transport measures from the bus gate to Metro North?

This article says they claim to represents 4,000 retailers, which retailers?

Given that rents seem like the biggest issue for retails of many sizes, they seem to have an undue focus on public transport and little to say about rents: "Metro North" comes up a good few times on a Google search of their website, but there's only three returns for a Google search for "rent" and five if you the site's internal search. Fewer again for the term "upward only rent".

They told Dublin City Council they would sue them over the College Green bus gate (see here), yet they refused to supply details when the council had an independent report commissioned (see here and here).

Recently they posted up the strange Dare proposals document (see this thread) and a very strange release -- "Spencer Dock as a National Rail Hub" -- was posted on their site.

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How can they be quoted as a serious source for a newspaper article?

Look at "Spencer Dock as a National Rail Hub". Some quotes from that:

The Metro North Project was monstrously expensive even in boom conditions. Initial estimates were that it would cost at least €4 billion. A second other difficulty with building an underground rail line from Dublin Airport to St Stephens Green is that it can never be part of an Underground System as we have largely opted for a Tram System, the Luas.

Such a straw-man argument, they don't want a metro because "it can never be" as part of a "Underground System" which there is no need or plans for?

The Dart Underground is a plan to connect the Cork and Belfast rail lines by an underground from beside Heuston Station to a new Belfast Railway Station at Spender Dock. Long term this will allow electric trains to run straight from Belfast to Cork.

Belfast Railway Station at Spender Dock? Electric trains from Belfast to Cork?

It is possible to extend the St. Stephens Green Luas Line to Dublin Airport at about 25% of the cost of Metro North. This line would run down Kildare Street and Westland Row and cross the Liffey by a new bridge to Spencer Dock. The Luas Line could then run along the Royal Canal to Liffey Junction and up through Finglas and on the Airport. There is a Green Belt through Finglas so there are no major obstacles on this route.

No major obstacles bar the fact there's hardly room along the canals for the planned cycle routes along it, never mind a Luas line.

If we were to abandon the Metro North Underground then the Dart Underground would run straight from Heuston Station to Spencer Dock. This would reduce the length of the line by 25% and eliminate the cost and disruption of the St. Stephens Green and Westland Row Stations.

Never mind about Metro North, removing the city centre stops would also greatly devalue Dart Underground's business case.

We could turn Spencer Dock into the National Rail Hub with the Belfast and Cork rail lines passing though, the Red Luas Line from Tallaght to the Docks and the Green Luas Line from South Dublin to the Airport passing by and the Dart having a new station close by at the North Strand.

The key concept would be Spencer Dock as a National Rail Hub for Dublin and the Island of Ireland. The Island of Ireland is a small island with only 6 million people. We should have an integrated rail transport system for the Island. We could do this by building a National Rail Hub at Spencer Dock.

A very strange National Rail Hub which only serves Belfast and maybe also Sligo trains?

No reasoning as to why Connolly can't continue to be used for Belfast services or what you'd do with Connolly.

lods

http://www.dcba.ie/public/about-dcba/

About DCBA

The Dublin City Business Association represents the interests of all those who do business in the city centre. Members include the major retailers, property owners and transport organisations within the Dublin 1 and 2 areas.

The city centre of Dublin is a micro economy with an annual turnover estimated at €4 billion (2008 prices). There are 145,000 people living and working within the area and an average daily footfall of 660,000. To keep the city alive and successful in an increasingly competitive market, the DCBA works on behalf of its members with local and national governments to ensure that the city is accessible and has an attractive and sophisticated retail, leisure offering for visitors and customers.

Collectively the members of the DCBA:





Employ 25,000 people
It has an annual retail turnover of €1.5 billion
Pay local authority rates of €74 million annually to Dublin City Council
Continuously invest in redevelopment and improvements of their own stores and reinvestment in initiatives to improve the city centre offering as a whole.
Work together to improve the entire offering of the city centre
The day-time economy, comprising fashion, footwear and office functions pay 75% of rates to Dublin City Council in comparison to the 4% from the pub sector, or night-time economy.

In addition to representing the interests of its members with local and national governments, the DCBA is a knowledge resource providing members with access to market research information on such topics as:

CCTV Footfall Counts
Profiles of Consumer Attitudes
Position Papers on Land Use and Dublin Development Plans
Market Trading
Public Order
City Centre Access
Perception / Image of Dublin City Centre.

Dublin Bus , Irish Rail THe RPA and the taxi groups are all members.

Collectively the members of the DCBA:

Employ 25,000 people
It has an annual retail turnover of €1.5 billion
Pay local authority rates of €74 million annually to Dublin City Council
Continuously invest in redevelopment and improvements of their own stores and reinvestment in initiatives to improve the city centre offering as a whole.
Work together to improve the entire offering of the city centre
The day-time economy, comprising fashion, footwear and office functions pay 75% of rates to Dublin City Council in comparison to the 4% from the pub sector, or night-time economy.

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Found this list on a letter the DCBA sent to the EC in 2007, it lists the DCBA's council...

COUNCIL

Arnotts
AXA Insurance Ltd
Bank of Ireland Best Ltd
Boots The Chemist
Brown Thomas Car Park
Bus Stop-Card Gallery Group
Carrolls Irish Gifts
Clery & Co. {1941) Plc,
La Croissanterie
Dublin Bus
Duffy's of North Earl Street
Eason & Son Ltd.
George's Street Business Association
Simon Hart Ltd
Henry Street Mary Street Shopping Centre Ltd.
Irish Rail
Irish Estates (Management) Ltd/
Irish Life Assurance PIc.
The Irish Times
Isaacs Hotel
Jervis Shopping Centre
Jury's Doyte Hotel Group
Thomas Lenehan & Co. Ltd
McElearney Chartered Surveyors
National Taxi Driver's Union
O'Reilly's Jewellers
PAMBO
Thomas Patrick Ltd
Penneys
Powerscourt Shopping Centre Ltd.
Railway Procurement Agency
Shelboume Development Ltd.
Stephen's Green Shopping Centre
Temple Bar Cultural Trust Ltd

Ex officio
Dublin City Council Area Managers
North Central & South Central

Is this really representative of Dublin City Centre business? Whatever about the retailers on the list, it's filled up with transport groups, a taxi union, property owners, and banking institutions.

The shopping centre, car park and property owners explains why the DCBA has little mention of rents and upward only rent reviews on its website.

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In reply to a post on the Metro North thread over on infrastructure...

lods wrote: »

The RPA are members so thats makes a nonsence of the DCBA being nonence group. The Chamber don't represent business in the city centre. they even List Intel & HP as members:rolleyes:

The RPA, Irish Rail and Dublin Bus are all members so they have one foot in the door. The same goes for the taxi union, the car park owners, the large property owners, and the financial institution.

Intel are very large employer in the region (they employ around 4,000 people) and they are seen as something like an "anchor tenant" who were followed by many other large companies. They likely mean a lot to the Dublin economy, even if based next door. HP also have a presence at Swords Business Campus and at Belfield -- Those are both Co Dublin.

lods

http://www.dcba.ie/public/news/chairmans-speech-dcba-agm-25th-march-2011/
Chairman’s Speech DCBA AGM 25th March 2011

Monday the 28th of March 2011
Welcome fellow members of the DCBA. It gives me great pleasure to welcome you here today. May I start by thanking The Lord Mayor Gerry Breen for extending to us the use of this magnificent room of the DCBA AGM.
• Gerry Breen as Lord Mayor has been very active and supportive in encouraging business and job creation during his term and has done Dublin proud as first citizen
• This time last year I stated “That for many simply to still be in business in 2011 would be the measure of success” and in many respects things have not changed as we look to the coming year.
• However I sense a subtle change in people’s attitude and a feeling that we now need to look to the future rather than dwell on the calamity of the past.
• While so much of the environment in which we do business is predicated by factors external to our business and indeed our country, there are things that we can seek to have changed which can help to retain jobs and ultimately stimulate growth.
• This demands that all members of society accept their responsibility to the social contract. No longer can Landlords demand as a matter of right a rent that is grossly at variance with the market value. The Banks must release working capital to ensure Jobs are retained. And above all we must reignite the domestic economy. It has been so easy over the last year for each and everyone of us to retrench in our spending as we fear what might be coming. Yet it is by buying that cup of coffee or going out for an early bird meal or buying that item of clothing, that we allow what money we have to circulate and keep people in employment.
• Just as we in business have had to modify our approach to marketing and promotion from the BIG campaign to much more targeted and focused initiatives we in the DCBA call on the City Council and Government to look to support a myriad of small labour intensive projects rather than large vanity schemes.
• While we have always supported the Metro North project it is now transparently clear that this can not be allowed to proceed in the current climate. The disruption to business and additional job losses would far outweigh the benefits, particularly bearing in mind the growth assumptions on which it was based. We believe there are alternatives which use existing infrastructure which would be much more cost effective and would be more labour intensive during construction. In particular I would draw your attention to a recent paper presented to our council meeting on DARE (Dublin Area Rail express).
• We in the DCBA in conjunction with the Dublin Civic Trust have produced two significant reports. “Defining Dublin’s Historic Core” and “ The Capel Street and the City Markets” both of these reports have been very well received by the City council and we believe they will form the basis for a number of key projects over the coming years. It is by encouraging small indigenous business street by street that we in Dublin will retain our unique character and attraction both to Tourists and Locals alike.
• However for us to attract and retain visitors to Dublin it is imperative that the over centralisation of drug treatment and homeless centres in Dublin 1 and 2 be addressed as matter of urgency. The failed policies of the HSE and adjoining local authorities using Dublin 1 & 2 for addiction services is damaging tourism and is no longer acceptable.
• In conclusion may I thank on behalf of the DCBA the Garda Síochána the City Manager John Tierney for all their work for the good of Dublin. And all our members for their continuing support in these difficult times, may I wish you all every success in 2011.

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This speech was the out going chairman or the incoming chairman Lorcan O’Connor, of O’Carroll’s Irish gift shops?

lods

Appears to be outgoing . He talks of what he said last year.

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lods -- Do you know if the DCBA's council is the same as the above list or has it changed?

lods

http://www.dcba.ie/public/about-dcba/dcba-structure/

It appears the council is just a name for all the members. The Chairman/Ceo & the officers are in overall charge

Level 1

Dublin City Council
Strategic Policy
DCBA Council
Committee Finance
Level 2

Dublin City Manager & Assistance City Managers
Chairman, CEO & Officers of the DCBA
DMCRS Ltd.
- Marketing City Centre
- Dublin City Council/DCBA Marketing/PR
- Dublin City Brand
- Training Services
- Merchandising Services
- Internet Portal Services
- CCTV
- Footfall Services
Level 3

Area Managers, North & South Central
Business Forums, North & South Central
DCBA Area Committees, North & South Central
Level 4

Public Domain Officers, North Central & South Central
Street Committees
Level 5

Existing Services
BIDs
Level 6

Enhanced Services