New arthouse cinema (Pálás)

serfboard

nuac wrote: »

Is there no limit to what the taxpayer is made pay for "culture and cinemaw."?

There is virtually no limit to what something will cost to develop if you put well-connected, incompetent numpties in charge of project management - and the minister finally understood that:

The Irish Times wrote:

Last year, Minister for Arts Heather Humphreys granted completion funding for the project ... with a condition that the local authority would take over project management.

and:

The Irish Times wrote:

Last year ... Galway City Council ... [asked] the department to provide more funding despite “the difficult history of the project and previous non-compliance with agreed procedures”.

Finally, though, work is to resume "shortly":

The Irish Times wrote:

Galway City Council has said that it is “satisfied” work will resume shortly on the long-delayed Picture Palace arthouse cinema ...

Minister for Arts Heather Humphreys has defended her decision to earmark more public funding for the project, which is expected to cost € 9.24 million before it is complete ...

New contractors Rhatigan will complete the fit-out ...

The city council said that the cinema would be open in time for next year’s Galway Film Fleadh.

€9.24 million Fúckin hell.

A very sad and frustrated part of me wonders how little it would have cost to have bought and re-devloped the Claddagh Palace, instead of turning the fúckin thing into apartments ...

ronnie3585

An unmitigated cluster fu*k.

stampydmonkey

serfboard wrote: »

A very sad and frustrated part of me wonders how little it would have cost to have bought and re-devloped the Claddagh Palace, instead of turning the fúckin thing into apartments ...

And ****ty apartments at that

Dr Jakub

Don't tell me this joke is still going on? Turn it into a homeless shelter or something so it can do some good. Not a poxy art house cinema that no one will ever go to.

Whereisgalway

GCC have a lot to answer for

snubbleste

Whereisgalway wrote: »

GCC have a lot to answer for

But they are not accountable to anyone.

serfboard

Whereisgalway wrote: »

GCC have a lot to answer for

They would have if they were solely, or even majorly, responsible for this fiasco.

But they aren't.

Mrs OBumble

snubbleste wrote: »

But they are not accountable to anyone.

What about the Local Government Audit Service?

nuac

Any statement from the company?

Replacement for recently retired company auditor? (afaik the LG auditor does not do this )

How stands the loan of €650 K from Western Development to this project?

Could they not find a more worthy project to finance anywhere else in the West

Cheshire Cat

Could be much worse: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/curtain-finally-raised-on-hamburg-concert-hall-at-925-over-budget-1.2856882

6 years late (we can match that) and 925% over budget :eek:
Can't match that (yet).

serfboard

Cheshire Cat wrote: »

Could be much worse: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/curtain-finally-raised-on-hamburg-concert-hall-at-925-over-budget-1.2856882

6 years late (we can match that) and 925% over budget
Can't match that (yet).

In the same vein, have a look at the omnishambles that is the new Berlin Airport which also gives the lie to the idea that the "Germans do it better/properly/ ...". Some quotes:

15 years of planning, actual construction work for Berlin Brandenburg Airport began on 5 September 2006 ...

Originally planned to open in 2010, the airport has encountered a series of delays due to poor construction planning, management, execution and corruption ...

Current estimates suggest that the airport will open in 2018 or 2019, at the latest. Recent reports mentioned the 3rd quarter of 2019 ...

the estimated cost [is] €6.9 billion ...

In May 2016, it emerged that a whistleblower on the much-delayed and over-budget airport project, who had alerted the public to major corruption within the project, had been poisoned with a "deadly substance" but survived after a three-month period of illness

We can't match the poisoning of whistleblowers yet either!

topcat77

And it keeps on going!

http://connachttribune.ie/work-to-restart-on-ill-fated-arthouse-cinema-in-the-city-210/

serfboard

topcat77 wrote: »

And it keeps on going!

http://connachttribune.ie/work-to-restart-on-ill-fated-arthouse-cinema-in-the-city-210/

Well, in fairness, two developments progressing the project are mentioned there:

The Connacht Tribune wrote:

... the lease transfer from the original project leaders SOLAS to the new project leaders Element Pictures is now complete.

... the [new] contractors [Rhatigans] will be ... on site in February, with work due to begin on February 13.

what_traffic

Anybody know the planning number for the Arthouse Cinema?

snubbleste

what_traffic wrote: »

Anybody know the planning number for the Arthouse Cinema?

00666

what_traffic

snubbleste wrote: »

00666

Ha ha

Storm 10

Well February the 13th has come and gone and no contractor has turned up, why am I not surprised

http://connachttribune.ie/work-to-restart-on-ill-fated-arthouse-cinema-in-the-city-210/

nuac

Rhatigans are well known as efficient contractors.

If they are not on site on the date stipulated, somebody else's ducks must not be in a row.

As the West could struggle on without this facility, perhaps it is now time to cut this adrift and put what is there up for sale

topcat77

Rhatigans have just started on the new NUIG student accomadation building. I hope this is the reason, I just want this saga to finish

joeKel73

topcat77 wrote: »

Rhatigans have just started on the new NUIG student accomadation building. I hope this is the reason, I just want this saga to finish

If they do finish the construction, this saga will roll on for years with all kinds of extra funding and grants poured into it.

gordongekko

How do we know they are not onsite? it maybe just a few lads at the start

Storm 10

gordongekko wrote: »

How do we know they are not onsite? it maybe just a few lads at the start

Past it several times yesterday and today, the whole place is still completely closed off as it has been for some time now

charlie_says

They may have gotten caught up in the Galway Perfect Storm Week.

Just imagine, the Novena, Valentines Day, Donegal Tuesday and construction commencing on the new cinema.

what_traffic

http://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0302/856711-galway-art-house/
"
As of this afternoon, Solas says the cinema will be open by the end of the year.
"

ronnie3585

I'll believe it when I see it.

Bobeagleburger

It doesn't say what year

serfboard

what_traffic wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0302/856711-galway-art-house/
"As of this afternoon, Solas says the cinema will be open by the end of the year."

RT&#201 wrote:

The company behind a proposed art-house cinema in Galway is being investigated by the Charities Regulator.

It comes after issues arose in relation to the assets of Solas-Galway Picture Palace Teoranta and a proposed new commercial arrangement with Element Pictures.

In a statement today, the Charities Regulator said it had ordered the investigation following an examination of books, documents and other records of Solas.

The initial investigation of records took place last November after the regulator met with trustees.

Solas is a registered charity, with a five-person board, chaired by Lelia Doolan. It was first listed in 2008.

Holy crap. This thing just gets worse and worse. So many questions, the first of which is how and why is this a charity?

The Charity Regulator investigated the company's records last November. This was a month after the company's auditors resigned "due to our concerns over corporate governance within the company".

Something very fishy going on ...

Robbo

serfboard wrote: »

Holy crap. This thing just gets worse and worse. So many questions, the first of which is how and why is this a charity?

Without getting into corporate governance issues, Section 3(11)(k) of the 2009 Charities Act coupled with the "public benefit" test. You may be surprised to learn that this is slightly more restrictive than previous standards for charitable purposes.

Worth noting that the annual return (and corresponding accounts) which was due in late 2016 hasn't been filed with the CRO so far. Time was when this wasn't seen as a big problem but these days, the CRO don't mess about.

nuac

This does look serious.
Considering delayed accounts, resignation of auditor, gross delays, and likely limited demand for the actual cinema - time to pull plant and sell off what is there?

The genesis and management of this project will make an interesting case study

nuac

This does look serious.
Considering delayed accounts, resignation of auditor, gross delays, and likely limited demand for the actual cinema - time to pull plant and sell off what is there?

The genesis and management of this project will make an interesting case study