ATHLONE CHINESE HUB

robinstown

Hi does anyone know when is it starting or who has the contract of construction

BoB_BoT

I'm not much up to date on this, but the last I heard anything about it was early December, it was only planning permission that was granted, not sure if there's confirmation it will actually be in Athlone.

Mearings

The Chinese will be flocking to the birthplace of Count John McCormack.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Mearings wrote: »

The Chinese will be flocking to the birthplace of Count John McCormack.

She's a tasty spot, that Row Inn Row

demanufactured

whos to say anyone here will get the contract to build it?
more than likely they will bring tgeir own workers to build it.

athlonelad

demanufactured wrote: »

whos to say anyone here will get the contract to build it?
more than likely they will bring tgeir own workers to build it.

Hope it goes ahead. Town could really do with the boost.

athlonelad

athlonelad wrote: »

Hope it goes ahead. Town could really do with the boost.

Agreed, the place could do with jobs, but this type of "trade centre" is geared to taking jobs away from Ireland, not bringing therm in!

I still think it's pie in the skie!

cherryghost

Too little too late tbh.

athlonelad

cherryghost wrote: »

Too little too late tbh.

Its not exactly little. Its proposed to be a huge development. Fingers crossed it goes through to construction stage. It would really put the midlands on the map nevermind just Athlone

demanufactured

Lol athlonelad doesnt get it

There wont be any irish working in the construction of it.

athlonelad

demanufactured wrote: »

Lol athlonelad doesnt get it

There wont be any irish working in the construction of it.

And where did you see this in your research? If it does go ahead there will be Irish working on it.

boredatwork82

It'll be a lovely little mini property Bubble.
Not sure about the jobs, but I am hoping there will be finance jobs in it in the end.!

athlonelad

boredatwork82 wrote: »

It'll be a lovely little mini property Bubble.
Not sure about the jobs, but I am hoping there will be finance jobs in it in the end.!

Better lock the dog in. Do Chinese still eat dogs?

Bababa

Sounds great.... A Chinese slave labour camp for producing the latest round of head shop highs and sub standard goods. And all with a guaranteed Irish tag on it!!

Zubeneschamali

Bababa wrote: »

A Chinese slave labour camp...

They are not going to try and make anything in Ireland, this is just a shop-window.

Jesus Shaves

some awful racist comments in here
It doesn't matter who will be working at it, It will still create jobs and generate more income in Athlone. People will still be paying tax to the government. Who cares of that is from an Irishman, Chinaman or a chimpanzee, Revenue is revenue!

athlonelad

darokane wrote: »

some awful racist comments in here
It doesn't matter who will be working at it, It will still create jobs and generate more income in Athlone. People will still be paying tax to the government. Who cares of that is from an Irishman, Chinaman or a chimpanzee, Revenue is revenue!

Wouldn't call it racism. The main reason I would like to see Irish working there is because at present would have a huge surplus of labour. We don't need to import workers we have excess here. Get some off the dole.

Jesus Shaves

athlonelad wrote: »

Wouldn't call it racism. The main reason I would like to see Irish working there is because at present would have a huge surplus of labour. We don't need to import workers we have excess here. Get some off the dole.

Small minded comments so, I'd say the majority of people working on the construction of this will be Irish, I don't know of any Chinese developers in Ireland!

athlonelad

darokane wrote: »

athlonelad wrote: »

Wouldn't call it racism. The main reason I would like to see Irish working there is because at present would have a huge surplus of labour. We don't need to import workers we have excess here. Get some off the dole.

Small minded comments so, I'd say the majority of people working on the construction of this will be Irish, I don't know of any Chinese developers in Ireland!

Not at all. If we can get a couple thousand off unemployment all the better. Does not matter if they are Irish or not to me. All I'm saying is we don't need to import labour. We have enough on the dole here that could do the job.
Not everything is about race. This is simple economics

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

athlonelad wrote: »

Not at all. If we can get a couple thousand off unemployment all the better. Does not matter if they are Irish or not to me. All I'm saying is we don't need to import labour. We have enough on the dole here that could do the job.
Not everything is about race. This is simple economics

Triple Post!!!!!:p

I'm quite cynical about this going ahead myself but whatever about the long term, the fact of the matter is that it would provide construction jobs for people in the short term. And they wouldn't be depatriating a couple of thousand Chinese workers to Ireland in order to build it.

This could only be good for Athlone, it would give the town a real boost and possibly propel it further towards City status. I can't see where all the negativity is coming from.

force eleven

And its a go from An Bord Pleanala. So when will construction actually start?

And what about Tubber airport? Green light for this?

Neworder79

And what about Tubber airport? Green light for this?

It's a nice idea for locals who think that airports decent from the sky and run themselves. But who would pay to build and run this airport, will the backers of the Chinese Hub do so and subsadise it's operating costs?

Even if there is backing to build it have we learned nothing from the closure of services at Galway and Sligo, and huge debts and collapse in business at Shannon and Cork (far larger City regions). Small regionals couldn't survive in this country without major taxpayer subsidy, and the proximity of so many airports in this country meant they still failed.

The runway and support infrastructure required to provide ultra long haul Asian flights would cost far more to run and maintain. It would also stunt the chances of Dublin growing as a hub, like the Shannon stopover years.

The three longest runways in the country are with 1.5 hrs of Athlone, Dublin with the critical mass of major airlines and direct Motorway and Rail connections, a well established and growing US/European & Asian hub and new Terminal.

Shannon has established US and UK hub connections and is badly in need of new traffic to fill it's ample long haul infrastructure which has had millions of taxpayers investment over the decades.

Ireland West is also nearby and growing into a busy low cost base with a wide UK and European network, planned road improvements on the N5 could bring journey time below 1hr.

Dublin 132Km M50/M6 1:20
Ireland West 95Km N81/N5 1:20
Shannon 134Km M18/M6 1:36

wetminger

This sounds like such a load of old cobblers - it has white elephant/ghost estate written all over it. Has anyone actually signed up to operate from this badly connected architects wet-dream or is it purely aspirational? Its actually pretty funny that Athlone (or anywhere in Ireland) has been identified as the missing link between Europe and China!

blowtorch

wetminger wrote: »

This sounds like such a load of old cobblers - it has white elephant/ghost estate written all over it. Has anyone actually signed up to operate from this badly connected architects wet-dream or is it purely aspirational? Its actually pretty funny that Athlone (or anywhere in Ireland) has been identified as the missing link between Europe and China!

Of course it's a load of cobblers. Just in time for the run up to the Referendum.

But here's a thought - the Casino and Leisure Complex for Two Mile Borris. Now, if Chinatown was to be a runner, wouldn't it make more economic sense for the TwoMileBorris'ers to move to Athlone?

nice_guy80

the only way this would makes sense was if it was beside Shannon or Knock

The Scawgeen

We'd sell our souls to anyone if the price was right.

Lapin

Where abouts is the proposed hub actually located ?

What road out of Athlone ?

As for the jobs debate above, I believe most of the employees in the venture will be Chinese,
but with such a large scale project, there is bound to be a positive spin off locally.

As an East Galway person, I welcome it.
Oppotunities like this don't come around too often.

Milk it for what its worth I say !

wetminger

There wont be any jobs, this will never see the light of day so I wouldn't waste your breath peoples.

martin1

And I herby sayth that neer a block shall there be layd there and doth shall it always remain a field full of cows......so sayth my prediction

Confusious

martin1

martin1 wrote: »

And I herby sayth that neer a block shall there be layd there and doth shall it always remain a field full of cows......so sayth my prediction

Confusious

+1

Developers pipe dream, they're hoping that others (the Chinese or Irish Government) will fund it, they're stuck with a load of land bought at tiger prices!

The Scawgeen

Is there any truth in the rumour that the fake cigarette manufacturers and fake Nike merchants are being touted as anchor tenants

blowtorch

Old Blowtorch's Alamanac 2015. 40 new jobs created in Athlone by FG Security Company who have been contracted to protect the empty industrial area known as Chinatown.

LLU

More proof that there are still people who believe that our problems can be solved by building yet more industrial/retail units. Never mind that we have hundreds of thousands of square feet of industrial units already lying idle having never been occupied or earned a euro.

Still, at least it's not a mega casino or tacky Whitehouse replica, and as long as the Irish taxpayer doesn't get stung for the bill let's fire up the frying pan for the breakfast rolls and party on...

blowtorch

blowtorch wrote: »

Old Blowtorch's Alamanac 2015. 40 new jobs created in Athlone by FG Security Company who have been contracted to protect the empty industrial area known as Chinatown.

Chances are, that the only thing that gets erected will be the "Chinatown" sign and a gate!

zom

@dolanbaker - don't you thing it is surprisingly suspicious that they trying keep it silent as possible? If they really want to trick someone and fake building this estate shouldn't they widely advertise development and talk about it all the time?
This is just clear situation - Chinese are investing lot of money but nothing really big for them - to get some field for further European development. And that's fine - I just don't like the form of that development. It seems like closed ghetto in the middle of nowhere - labor camp with no way to escape. If they would build something like that in i.e. Lexlip there will be chance to blend and integrate it into Dublin urban fabric.

zom

zom wrote: »

@dolanbaker - don't you thing it is surprisingly suspicious that they trying keep it silent as possible? If they really want to trick someone and fake building this estate shouldn't they widely advertise development and talk about it all the time?
This is just clear situation - Chinese are investing lot of money but nothing really big for them - to get some field for further European development. And that's fine - I just don't like the form of that development. It seems like closed ghetto in the middle of nowhere - labor camp with no way to escape. If they would build something like that in i.e. Lexlip there will be chance to blend and integrate it into Dublin urban fabric.

I'm not even sure the Chinese are actually interested in this at all, the location is completely wrong for their trading model. All the promotion is coming from the local developers who probably own the land it's to be sited on.

As others have already said (on another thread about this) any Chinese trading hub would be in western Europe in easy reach of several capital cities, not way out west.

You have the hub in the centre not near the rim!

Milk & Honey

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm not even sure the Chinese are actually interested in this at all, the location is completely wrong for their trading model. All the promotion is coming from the local developers who probably own the land it's to be sited on.

As others have already said (on another thread about this) any Chinese trading hub would be in western Europe in easy reach of several capital cities, not way out west.

You have the hub in the centre not near the rim!

The centre is being built to attract Americans. We are the nearest English speaking country in Europe to the USA.

Milk & Honey

Milk & Honey wrote: »

The centre is being built to attract Americans. We are the nearest English speaking country in Europe to the USA.

America is closer to China than Ireland!

athlonelad

Not the east coast.

athlonelad

athlonelad wrote: »

Not the east coast.

True, but why would an American trader come to Ireland to visit an exhibition centre for Chinese goods when there are plenty of exhibition centres in the US?

Edit: a quick google finds this one amongst others.
http://www.cccct.com/english/english_list.asp?id=99

athlonelad

dolanbaker wrote: »

athlonelad wrote: »

Not the east coast.

True, but why would an American trader come to Ireland to visit an exhibition centre for Chinese goods when there are plenty of exhibition centres in the US?

Maybe they heard about the Cookhouse and want to try chips with EVERYTHING

boredatwork82

Or for the legendary Athlone Night life.

SilverScreen

I still don't see this being built, or at least not the entire project. They may have got planning permission but that doesn't mean that they definitely going to go ahead and build it at that location.

youngblood

I know there is a lot of talk about if they are going to build this thing

But for one second,

Just imagine if they did????

It would totally transform the midlands!

athlonelad

All the dubs will be relocating again, house prices will rise by 50% and Athlone will be featured on megastructures on the discovery channel

walrusgumble

darokane wrote: »

some awful racist comments in here
It doesn't matter who will be working at it,

Eh, it does matter who will be working here. Why should a foreign country avail of cheap corportation tax if it won't employ skilled and suitable Irish Citizens? It would be a complete and utter waste of time for Ireland if the work force only consisted of 30-40 % Irish Citizens.

darokane wrote: »

It will still create jobs and generate more income in Athlone.

Eh, jobs for who? Chinese and other EU / Non Irish citizens who will send their pay packages home (rightly so, it's their money), while the Irish go and emigrate.

darokane wrote: »

People will still be paying tax to the government.

Let it be Irish Citizens paying the tax so.

darokane wrote: »

Who cares of that is from an Irishman, Chinaman or a chimpanzee, Revenue is revenue!

You are an idiot. Must be a landlord or a business person hoping to get cheap labour.

In case you have not noticed, the Chinese do not spend money unless it is within its own community.

Foreigners come and go and will certainly do so if or when the crap hits the fan. This is Irish people's country, they need jobs in order to stay in their country of birth.

Revenue is revenue, good man, not much good if that revenue has to then be spilled into the Social Welfare coffers to provide assistance to employed Irish people.

Next time, think before opening your mouth


For the record, this fear that Irish won't be employed is nonsense and should be ignored.

walrusgumble

Deleted User wrote: »

Chances are, that the only thing that gets erected will be the "Chinatown" sign and a gate!

I don't think The Good People of Athlone would be cultured enough to tolerate that. This ain't "liberal" Dublin

walrusgumble

athlonelad wrote: »

All the dubs will be relocating again, house prices will rise by 50% and Athlone will be featured on megastructures on the discovery channel

Think of the cocaine parties!

Maybe Coppers in Church Street will morph into the Real Copper Face Jacks

Jesus Shaves

walrusgumble wrote: »

Eh, it does matter who will be working here. Why should a foreign country avail of cheap corportation tax if it won't employ skilled and suitable Irish Citizens? It would be a complete and utter waste of time for Ireland if the work force only consisted of 30-40 % Irish Citizens.



Eh, jobs for who? Chinese and other EU / Non Irish citizens who will send their pay packages home (rightly so, it's their money), while the Irish go and emigrate.




Let it be Irish Citizens paying the tax so.



You are an idiot. Must be a landlord or a business person hoping to get cheap labour.

In case you have not noticed, the Chinese do not spend money unless it is within its own community.

Foreigners come and go and will certainly do so if or when the crap hits the fan. This is Irish people's country, they need jobs in order to stay in their country of birth.

Revenue is revenue, good man, not much good if that revenue has to then be spilled into the Social Welfare coffers to provide assistance to employed Irish people.

Next time, think before opening your mouth


For the record, this fear that Irish won't be employed is nonsense and should be ignored.

And you are a racist.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

walrusgumble wrote: »

Eh, it does matter who will be working here. Why should a foreign country avail of cheap corportation tax if it won't employ skilled and suitable Irish Citizens? It would be a complete and utter waste of time for Ireland if the work force only consisted of 30-40 % Irish Citizens.

I'm sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick, but am I missing something here? How can 30-40% of a workforce of c. 2,000 people be a complete and utter waste of time for Ireland? Is that not better than 30-40% of sweet f*** all? Even if it was 30%, that's 600 people less on the dole surely?

walrusgumble

darokane wrote: »

And you are a racist.

You do not even know what that word means. You have clearly lost the argument.

Now, be a good boy or girl and point out what statements made by me are racist. Not to mention not knowing anything about the issue of immigration



Maybe your the racist. Along with being stupid (you probably think open borders are a de facto thing - they are not) you probably have no qualms with discriminating at Irish people in their own country - why? For money? Dislike of Irish people?

Where, by the way did I say I am against foreigners coming to work, so long as it is by proper procedures? Oh wait, I never even suggested it.

You should be reported on for incorrect and slanderous comments, but what is the point, Boards.ie has become extremely keen on censoring any views that go against the grain of the minority who are stiffling discussion.


If you have nothing to say, go back to bed, chief