O'Connell Street renovations

elekid

Texas wrote:

What the story with the rabbit/hare statues down the centre on O'Connell St.... thought I was seeing things

Yeah I noticed them this morning too and I think they're really bizarre and ugly. I don't know what they were thinking putting those there. It seems such an odd choice, unless the statues have some kind of significance that I'm missing..?

fly_agaric

Cantab. wrote:

I can't believe the gimps at Dublin City Council are still standing over this project. It's certainly something they should be ashamed of, the length of time this is taking.

I wonder will they have it finished for Paddy's Day 2007?

Or will we get more of the same "Not done yet, but we're getting there" baloney?

And so it seems nobody is responsible and nobody's held accountable for this disgrace of a project that's taking years.

Given projects like O'Connell Street and Eyre Square in Galway, are local authorities competent to oversee such projects in future?

I'm only guessing here but I'd say money (or the lack thereof) has had more of an effect on the rate of the O'Connell St. "improvements":) than incompetence.

If you want to blame anybody, blame the govt. (who else:eek: ) for not giving the council more money or the powers necessary to raise more money.

Cantab.

fly_agaric wrote:

I'm only guessing here but I'd say money (or the lack thereof) has had more of an effect on the rate of the O'Connell St. "improvements":) than incompetence.

If you want to blame anybody, blame the govt. (who else:eek: ) for not giving the council more money or the powers necessary to raise more money.

That excuse is a load of codswollop.

The council have more money than they've ever had.

BendiBus

elekid wrote:

Yeah I noticed them this morning too and I think they're really bizarre and ugly. I don't know what they were thinking putting those there. It seems such an odd choice, unless the statues have some kind of significance that I'm missing..?

I think it's the recently re-opened Hugh Lane Gallery doing the public art thing. A temporary erection I believe.

The Hugh Lane is looking lovely though. Although that Francis Bacon guy was a bit of a mad fecker!

Further edit: www.hughlane.ie Current exhibitions include Barry Flanagan in Dublins O'Connell St. 27 June - October 2006. Started a bit early or something entirely different. I dunno.

Hermione*

Cantab. wrote:

That excuse is a load of codswollop.

The council have more money than they've ever had.

Well given that we don't have rates, the council get most of their money from central government.

Also, the council is government. Local government.

speedy21

I also have to question the lack of cycle lanes on O'Connell street - It's the worst place in the city to try cycle down - especially with buses pulling in to let people on. With such big footpaths and centre sections you'd think they'd have put in a bike lane

TapouT

speedy21 wrote:

I also have to question the lack of cycle lanes on O'Connell street - It's the worst place in the city to try cycle down - especially with buses pulling in to let people on. With such big footpaths and centre sections you'd think they'd have put in a bike lane

When cyclists start paying road tax, lets start to worry about more cycle lanes.

Cantab.

Hermione* wrote:

Well given that we don't have rates, the council get most of their money from central government.

Also, the council is government. Local government.

Sorry don't buy it. Where the council gets their money is irrelevant - the project has been going on for years and afaik, it's due to incompetence by those in charge and certainly not a shortage money. If money was that scarce, there'd be no money to erect a spike that's for sure.

Do you have any evidence to suggest that the city council is short of money?

Hermione*

Cantab. wrote:

Sorry don't buy it. Where the council gets their money is irrelevant - the project has been going on for years and afaik, it's due to incompetence by those in charge and certainly not a shortage money. If money was that scarce, there'd be no money to erect a spike that's for sure.

Do you have any evidence to suggest that the city council is short of money?

I didn't propose an argument either way. I merely pointed out that historians are agreed that the abolition of rates after the 1977 general election has severly handicapped local government throughout Ireland. I'm not commenting on the immediate circumstances in City Hall.

Goodshape

Texas wrote:

What the story with the rabbit/hare statues down the centre on O'Connell St.... thought I was seeing things

They're sculptures by Barry Flanagan, part of the Hugh Lane exhibition as BendiBus said.

Dublincity.ie article

dublincity.ie wrote:

Barry Flanagan on Dublin’s O’Connell Street will be a world-class exhibition featuring ten pieces - eight Hares, a playful elephant and a pair of cougars.

The complete exhibition, which is being installed as part of the celebration surrounding the reopening of the Gallery and the refurbishment of O’Connell Street, will be in situ by 27th June, when the last piece will be unveiled by the artist himself. The exhibition is being organised in collaboration with IMMA.

fly_agaric

Cantab. wrote:

Sorry don't buy it. Where the council gets their money is irrelevant

I wish I lived in that world where extra money just appeared when needed!

Cantab. wrote:

- the project has been going on for years and afaik, it's due to incompetence by those in charge and certainly not a shortage money. If money was that scarce, there'd be no money to erect a spike that's for sure.

Do you have any evidence to suggest that the city council is short of money?

Somewhat dated, but if you look at pg. 12 (pdf) of

http://www.dublincity.ie/Images/Adopted_Budget_2004_tcm35-12929.pdf

Notice how the expenditure is expected to go up 5-10% for the year of 2004 but income is pretty much static relative to 2003.

It seems the council depends on increases in money it gets from govt. just to cope with general inflation cost increases.
Unless a massive extra amount of govt. money is forthcoming how can it blow lots on vanity projects like new paving for O'Connell St.? Of course, I don't know and am just guessing (bs'ing like most people on the internet), but I'd say money (staying within budget each year) is a constraint on the speed of the work.
p 59 of the pdf also seems to suggest that the work was deliberately phased (listing "phase I" of the O'Connell St. Redevelopment a project for that year).

Was the Spire not paid for by central govt. anyways? I thought it was a "millennium" project which was finished a bit late.:)