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| Nec Bid For Casino; Who do you think the council will back | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 13 2005, 01:27 PM (273 Views) | |
| brumfanatic | Dec 13 2005, 01:27 PM Post #1 |
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Olivier Tebily
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NEC casino a financial lifeline for council Dec 13 2005 By Paul Dale Chief Reporter A super-casino at the National Exhibition Centre would provide a financial lifeline to Birmingham City Council with £350 million flowing into the local authority's coffers over the first ten years, it emerged last night. Details of a contract to build a giant gaming centre and hotel complex in conjunction with Las Vegas-based MGM Mirage have been announced by the NEC. MGM Mirage will sign a 125-year lease, generating a potential income for the council well in excess of £5 billion. The NEC will ultimately require the support of a Government-appointed panel, which will make a recommendation for the site of the country's first super-casino, and of Solihull Council, which must grant a licence. NEC management were at pains last night to insist that Birmingham City's plan for a £300 million stadium complex at the Wheels site, Saltley, can still go ahead even if the football club fails to get a casino. Andrew Morris, NEC chief executive, said the council could, if it wished, help finance the stadium from the proceeds of the MGM Mirage casino. He is to hold discussions with Blues chief executive, Karren Brady. Mr Morris said: "The funding stream created by this plan can provide a regeneration legacy to Birmingham for years to come. "If the council considers the stadium to be a really valuable part of Birmingham's future, then it now has it within its grasp to finance it." The scheme, which was announced to the New York Stock Exchange yesterday, envisages a £ 250 million casino with bars and restaurants built alongside the NEC lake. There would also be a major upgrade for the NEC Arena. A walkway across the lake to the Hilton Metropole hotel is under consideration, along with a new hotel. Almost 7,000 jobs are likely to be created and a further 1.5 million visitors a year would be attracted to the NEC. Mr Morris said a casino would transform the NEC from a conference-based facility to an " entertainment destination". He added: "The difference between our approach and that of Birmingham City Football Club is that we have chosen to enter into a legally binding contractual arrangement." He said the need to stage a competitive process among prospective casino operators in Britain and abroad delayed the NEC's announcement of the project. Birmingham City Council, which has a majority shareholding in the NEC, has until the end of January to decide which of the two casino bids to support. MGM Mirage, one of America's leading entertainment corporations, runs 24 casinos in the United States and has a reputation for philanthropy - regularly donating a portion of its profits to good causes. Mr Morris said: "The Government is very concerned about the social impact of gambling. MGM Mirage's social responsibility programme sets the standards and wins awards. "We are determined to do this in a classy way to complement the NEC brand. "Our expectation is that people who come here to conferences will play in the casino at the end of their working day. It will be a tremendous draw." He said a key consideration was the NEC's 22,000 parking places and its proximity to the motorway and rail network. "We expect most people to use the casino mainly at night, so it will be a car-borne journey rather than public transport. People will come here at night and are likely to go home after midnight. "The generation of traffic will be significant, but outside of peak hours," Mr Morris added. Coun Ted Richards, Leader of Solihull Council, said: "A regional casino in Solihull is an opportunity for areas such as Chelmsley Wood, Smith's Wood, Kingshurst and Fordbridge in North Solihull and East Birmingham, some of the most deprived areas in the region, to receive a muchneeded, sustainable boost that will help us tackle the problems of social exclusion." Who do you think will get the backing. I am worried they are trying to play Blues into a corner by saying more or less "back us and you`ll get your stadium." Though Karren Brady has rubbished these claims in the past. |
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| jpkengland | Dec 13 2005, 01:30 PM Post #2 |
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Steve Claridge
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If you look at the logistics of the two bids there's really no competition between them, the N.E.C shouldn't really have a chance. The only reason it does is that the council are thinking it might be a cash cow for them. If they give their backing to the N.E.C it will be a disgusting slap in the face of open politics. |
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| sam jordan | Dec 13 2005, 01:36 PM Post #3 |
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the council will have to go with the wheels site to conform with the governments requirements for urban regeneration as part as proposal, if NEC gets the backing where is the regeneration? the nec is a convention/exhibition centre, the city centre should be the place for an entertainment and sports complex.... enough said. |
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| brumfanatic | Dec 13 2005, 01:44 PM Post #4 |
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Olivier Tebily
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I may be wrong but the NEC may be worried by Blues bid as it seems to be strong and has gained increased backing from the media and local communities. Personally I don`t see how the NEC would meet the governments criteria unless it tried to include the stadium as part of its presentation package. Thats where I think this comment about the stadium going ahead whatever comes from. Stinks a bit to me. :ph43r: |
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| brumfanatic | Dec 13 2005, 04:34 PM Post #5 |
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Olivier Tebily
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Another article from ICBRUM All bets are off in tale of tortoise and hare The struggle between Birmingham City Football Club and the NEC for the right to build Britain's first super-casino bears more than a passing resemblance to the story of the hare and the tortoise, says Chief Reporter Paul Dale... Birmingham City, under the guidance of mercurial chief executive Karren Brady, hit the ground running months ago with a visionary scheme for a £300 million multipurpose sports stadium and gaming centre on the Wheels site at Saltley. The 55,000-seat City of Birmingham Stadium (pictured), something that the city council had dreamt of for years, would provide a new ground for the Blues, could stage international cricket and rugby, and would be suitable for major athletics events. The driving force behind this, providing the financial impetus, would be the millions of pounds of revenue flowing from a huge casino offering 40 gaming tables and unlimited cash prizes – if the Government gave Birmingham the nod as the location for the first super-casino. But the stadium would never be delivered, Ms Brady made clear, if the council failed to back the club’s tie-up with American casino operators Las Vegas Sands. For weeks it seemed to onlookers that the deal had been done.The Blues’ plan meets Government requirements that a casino should drive forward regeneration in run-down areas, create jobs, and carry the support of local people. Only the latter point appeared dubious, but a concerted attempt to persuade Saltley’s largely Muslim population to turn a blind eye to gambling in return for new jobs and other economic benefits appeared to have succeeded. Last night, however, something happened to throw the entire casino issue back into the melting pot. At 5.30pm British time, MGM Mirage, one of America’s biggest entertainment companies, announced to the New York Stock Exchange that it had signed a contract to build a £250 million casino-hotel complex (pictured) at the National Exhibition Centre – dependent, of course, on Government approval for a licence. The announcement put paid to weeks of comment by city councillors that the NEC was too far behind with its casino plan and would be unable to overtake Birmingham City. It also re-ignited speculation – first aired in the summer – that the council would be bound to favour the NEC, in which it has a majority shareholding, with the casino scheme simply, if for no other reason, because of the huge financial benefit it would bring to the local authority and, ultimately, to council tax payers. The detail to emerge last night demonstrates that the tortoise is now running neck and neck with the hare, if not a little ahead.Andrew Morris, NEC chief executive, explained that a share of the profits from the casino would guarantee the city council £350 million income over ten years and far more during the course of a 125-year lease. It would, quite literally, be a licence to print money for the council. It would also mean, of course, that the council could if it wished put a proportion of the money towards the City of Birmingham Stadium in Saltley, thereby delivering a new home for the Blues and pacifying the Government’s wish for inner city regeneration. Mr Morris said: “If the council considers the stadium to be a really valuable part of Birmingham’s future, then it now has it within its grasp to finance it. “We have only given the cash flow for the first ten years because it is difficult for people to get their heads around what this could mean over a 125-year period. “It would provide a tremendous legacy, allowing those who come after us to drive forward the regeneration of Birmingham.” The casino, to be called MGM Grand at the NEC, will create 6,700 jobs and also help transform the image of the National Exhibition Centre away from a conference venue to an “entertainment destination”, according to Mr Morris. The project will be linked to a substantial upgrade of the NEC Arena, which in turn is expected to benefit from MGM’s connections.Mr Morris said he expects the Arena, used on average only 154 nights of the year at the moment, to be fully booked if and when the casino is up and running. Unsurprisingly, Mr Morris is now talking to Ms Brady about a possible way forward. He added: “If you believe in the stadium, we can create it.” Birmingham City Council must decide by the end of January, at the latest, which of the two rival casino bids it wants to put forward to the Government-appointed panel that will recommend the site of the country ’ s first super-casino. Yesterday’s development makes that choice rather more difficult than it once appeared. Whats the chances that the NEC gets the casino and Karren brokers a deal for the stadium??? |
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| DANY | Dec 13 2005, 09:10 PM Post #6 |
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Geoff Horsfield
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The goverment states the decision should be based on re-generation and if that is really the case then the NEC shouldnt have a cat in hells chance. That said the council own a share of the NEC so i wouldnt be at all surprised to see them do the dirty on us and back them. Quite how any organisation or group who actually own a share of one the bidding parties is allowed to decided who wins the bid is completely beond me though. They cannot possibly be neutral on this decision when they own a share of a rapidly failing NEC. |
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| The Blue Bear | Dec 13 2005, 09:23 PM Post #7 |
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Mikael Forssell
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Since when has our council ever backed us? We carry the name of the city and have been the midlands best side over the last couple of years, (this season aside), but the fact is, they have always looked favourably on Aston Vile, whilst at the sametime, look down their noses at us. My money is on the NEC. "no" |
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| Willie | Dec 13 2005, 09:32 PM Post #8 |
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Willie
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I do not think that the NEC will get it. and if i am totally honest i do not think we will either. Blackpool will get it (imo). As for the nec bid well how much is being spent on the casino? and how much is budgeted to be spent on the road inferstructure around the nec to enable the public to get in and out without the usual queues ? As i say i think Blackpool will get it. if not then i really hope the council have the balls to give it to us....... I shall not be holding my breath tho ;) |
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| baron von bluenose | Dec 13 2005, 09:38 PM Post #9 |
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Bob Latchford
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in the late 70's brum council moved the border round solihull and included chemsley wood into solihulls fold which gave solihull enough occupants to become a borough the airport and the nec were both council owned (birmingham council). over time monkspath has devolodped and now with out chemsley wood it would still maintain borough status,the cost of maintaining c/wood is colossal each year it generates 22m in rent and spends 7m on it,they have underspent for many years and now its decaying due to bad maintenence,thes houses were built for temporary accomadation with a life span of 30 years in 1966. now solihull want rid of c/wood and to give it back to brum but brum dont want it unless they get the nec and most importantly the airport. why i cant uderstand for the life of me would brum council give there backing (shed load of money) to a project outside birmingham,can they do this and overlook a project in the inner city redevelopment scheme (new stadium) which would be a jewel in the crown of birmingham |
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| baron von bluenose | Dec 13 2005, 09:40 PM Post #10 |
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Bob Latchford
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ok as a means of both sides winning can we have our new stadium next to the nec paid for by las vegas sands run by bcfc |
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| The Blue Bear | Dec 14 2005, 06:48 AM Post #11 |
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Mikael Forssell
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I used to go to the Army Cadets in C/Wood, and my stepfather used to be one of the commitee members at the Labour Club there....I have some fond memories of the place, the naivity of being a child eh, although I lived in Castle Brom. I can only imagine the state of the place these days....my bro used to live in Kingshurst, and that was a dump back then.......now..... Dave, you're absolutely right. |
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