New arthouse cinema (Pálás)

Eeden

Does anyone know anything about the guy sitting outside the door of the new cinema? He's got big printed posters that read something like "Waiting to Welcome the Builders Back". I was driving by and couldn't slow down to see properly.

what_traffic

Robbo wrote: »

Stumbled across a High Court listing for a matter involving Solas Galway Picture House Teo -v- HCC International Insurance. It seems to have been rumbling on since mid-2012 with no great urgency but will finally be heard on February 25th.

Is it going ahead today?

dinneenp

Is it just bad luck for Galway? The two biggest projects in the past 15 years, Eyre square redevelopment and your house Cinema both hugely delayed and cost overrun.

And then you have the outer bypass

Whereisgalway

Such a waste of money, greedy council filling their pockets

Robbo

what_traffic wrote: »

Is it going ahead today?

Not sure and I don't have an opportunity to check it out.

tenacious-me

Whereisgalway wrote: »

greedy council filling their pockets

?

Arghus

Why is there always such a complete lack of information about what is actually happening with the thing?

This thread is seven years old! Seven! And the very first question, from years ago, is, "Anyone have any update on the progress of this?"

Maybe there is some legal dispute, in which case I can partly understand why things would be so quiet, but all throughout the ludicriously drawn out process there's been a lack of information of any sort being put out there into the public domain. All the while, we're hearing constantly about how we're going great guns in our status as a "city of film". Surely everyone knows that's a bad-joke, when we can't even get an arthouse cinema up and running after God knows how many years of effort. I think if there was more of an effort, on the part of those behind the project, to remind people that it still exists - beyond being a half-finished building site -and that they're moving forward in some way, then people might feel more engaged and get behind it to a larger extent.

TerrorFirmer

Whereisgalway wrote: »

Such a waste of money, greedy council filling their pockets

The council have poured money into it. Money that the Council can't even really afford but now that it's gotten this far they feel like the only way is forward, despite nobody, not councillors, or the CEO, being happy with the situation.

Your constant need to blindly savage the City/County Council at every term is getting a bit pathetic to be honest.

Mrs OBumble

Whereisgalway wrote: »

Such a waste of money, greedy council filling their pockets

Ahh, how, exactly?

Whereisgalway

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Ahh, how, exactly?

an estimated €2.5 MILLION has been pumped into the project, between donating the site and tranches of funding. It began development over 7 years ago

TerrorFirmer

Whereisgalway wrote: »

an estimated €2.5 MILLION has been pumped into the project, between donating the site and tranches of funding. It began development over 7 years ago

I think the confusion lies with your statement that the Council are somehow lining their pockets, despite the fact that that they're putting funds from an already strapped budget into a project they themselves are fed up with i.e they are loosing significant quantities of cash from a budget that can ill-afford it, but they feel the overall project will make a significant cultural contribution to Galway in the longer term and play a role in the Capital of Culture 2020 and similar bids.

Maybe explain your statement? How are they lining their pockets? And who is 'they'? The Councillors? The Executive? The CEO? Who?

Robbo

what_traffic wrote: »

Is it going ahead today?

From what I gather, a final order was made for one of the parties to further particularise their claim. Not sure which side, but these are usually made against the plaintiffs.

snubbleste

Just to repeat this bit :eek:

A house neighbouring the construction site was accidentally damaged during this period and Solas agreed to knock and rebuild the residence at a cost of €500,000, which was included in the contract with JJ Rhatigan & Co.

FoI working wonderfully http://connachttribune.ie/records-reveal-war-of-words-over-jinxed-cinema-project-788/

Aerohead

snubbleste wrote: »

Just to repeat this bit :eek:


FoI working wonderfully http://connachttribune.ie/records-reveal-war-of-words-over-jinxed-cinema-project-788/

Could only happen in Ireland, wonder what the state of play is now its still lying idle for the past number of months.

5rtytry56

Aerohead wrote: »

Could only happen in Ireland.....

"This is Ireland."

Chain Smoker

This was announced back around the time I was starting college in Galway, I've since gotten a masters and emigrated!

I do wonder how anyone expects this to be sustained locally in any way whatsoever though. The IFI in Dublin has hard enough of a time, you really need a city of multiple millions to support cinemas like this in any substantial way.

teddyhead

Chain Smoker wrote: »

This was announced back around the time I was starting college in Galway, I've since gotten a masters and emigrated!

I do wonder how anyone expects this to be sustained locally in any way whatsoever though. The IFI in Dublin has hard enough of a time, you really need a city of multiple millions to support cinemas like this in any substantial way.

I think the trick is not to be too exclusive or snobby. You only need 'multiple millions' if you are too niche. Hows about 'arthouse' cinemas that 'lower' themselves to classic 'mainstream' movies for a certain portion of the week? Might be more profitable than exclusively arty crap all the time.

Chain Smoker

teddyhead wrote: »

I think the trick is not to be too exclusive or snobby. You only need 'multiple millions' if you are too niche. Hows about 'arthouse' cinemas that 'lower' themselves to classic 'mainstream' movies for a certain portion of the week? Might be more profitable than exclusively arty crap all the time.

Most major arthouse films get as far as the eye and imc as it is, the weekly film society screenings in the town hall catch the rest.

You can make it work in smaller places with your idea and a setup that provokes enthusiasm like the alamo drafthouse, but Galway is still way too small.
This place is clearly trying to be very niche from everything I've read too (although I'd have some doubts about how niche their tastes really are, it's not like Galways film society screenings are ever especially out there things)

Robbo

Serious issues of corporate governance there. Entering into multi million euro contracts with no money to back it up as an act of brinksmanship? Jesus wept.

Can't say it's surprising though and if the Tribune were feeling a little more adventurous they should fire off some more FOI requests for organisations operating in the same sector.

charlie_says

Between all on this thread given a budget of nearly 2.5m do you think we could get a cinema off the ground?

jkforde

http://connachttribune.ie/council-threatens-to-pull-the-plug-on-arthouse-cinema-354/

nuac

Whereisgalway wrote: »

Such a waste of money, greedy council filling their pockets

I think it is other pockets that were filled

About this Art House, it seems to me that the project has been out of control cost and time-wise.

How much are taxpayers willing to pay to slake the artistic pretensions of a few?

All funding should cease, work terminated, and what is there should be sold

Arghus

I wonder if the information out in the public domain is the full story. There seems to be many decisions in the mess that defy all logic

What a farce of a situation.

Mrs OBumble

Arghus wrote: »

I wonder if the information out in the public domain is the full story. There seems to be many decisions in the mess that defy all logic

What a farce of a situation.

I learned in my very first job ever to assume that what is in the newspapers bears only a slight resemblance to the truth.

Chain Smoker

I'd guess a group who normally don't receive huge amounts of money got the money here and didn't really have a clue how to manage a construction project.

what_traffic

Chain Smoker wrote: »

I'd guess a group who normally don't receive huge amounts of money got the money here and didn't really have a clue how to manage a construction project.

Thats the PPP model for ya.

Robbo

There's a new database available which covers charities and non-profits, here's the entry for Solas Galway Picture Palace Teoranta.

It also allows you to view the directors report and abridged financial statements (last submission was on 30/10/2015). Curiously, there is an average of one paid employee and that average employee was paid €52,000 in 2014.

Chain Smoker

Robbo wrote: »

There's a new database available which covers charities and non-profits, here's the entry for Solas Galway Picture Palace Teoranta.

It also allows you to view the directors report and abridged financial statements (last submission was on 30/10/2015). Curiously, there is an average of one paid employee and that average employee was paid €52,000 in 2014.

You're saying that as though 52k is too much, I bet if they had hired someone worth double that to run the thing, it wouldn't have bled money in the way it did.

gordongekko

Chain Smoker wrote: »

You're saying that as though 52k is too much, I bet if they had hired someone worth double that to run the thing, it wouldn't have bled money in the way it did.

Why does someone need to be paid a grand a week to maintain a half finished building?

Robbo

gordongekko wrote: »

Why does someone need to be paid a grand a week to maintain a half finished building?

If they were paid less, it would only be quarter finished?