Riverside Stand development

[RaySmith]

We should forget about it while our Prem status is under threat, and if we go down, until/if we come back up.

We have more important things to worry about now than whether to create potentially unfillable, and expensive to build, new crowd capacity.

We are the Whites, not the White Elephants!

[HillingdonFFC]

Its easy for us to spend another mans money but the fact if the matter is why should relegation dictate whether this gets built or not?.
Pretty much the first thing Khan said was the need to increase the size of the stadium , if he truly has a long term vision for this club and is here for the long haul then he would build it regardless. He's just spent more on a scoreboard in Jacksonville .
This thing has taken years to plan, countless planning obstacles to overcome, now I'm not sure how long planning lasts for ? ,but if we were to let it lapse it could take years to happen. To me its a bit worrying, makes me wonder how long Khan intends to stick around.

[MJG]

We should forget about it while our Prem status is under threat, and if we go down, until/if we come back up.

We have more important things to worry about now than whether to create potentially unfillable, and expensive to build, new crowd capacity.

We are the Whites, not the White Elephants!

Its a difficult one really. Do you build it while in the championship so its in use the first year back. or wait to get promotion, which means you have to wait another year to start and would not be ready till halfway through Year 3 in the prem.

[MJG]

This thing has taken years to plan, countless planning obstacles to overcome, now I'm not sure how long planning lasts for ?

Major works have to start by July 2016

[Riversider]

Its easy for us to spend another mans money but the fact if the matter is why should relegation dictate whether this gets built or not?.
Pretty much the first thing Khan said was the need to increase the size of the stadium , if he truly has a long term vision for this club and is here for the long haul then he would build it regardless. He's just spent more on a scoreboard in Jacksonville .
This thing has taken years to plan, countless planning obstacles to overcome, now I'm not sure how long planning lasts for ? ,but if we were to let it lapse it could take years to happen. To me its a bit worrying, makes me wonder how long Khan intends to stick around.

At last others seeing it for what it is, as you and b+w geezer say , surely this is the perfect opportunity to kick on and get it done next season, especially as the stand will be half empty on match day compared to full in The Premiership, £30 million is a huge amount of money to me or you but it's loose change to a billionaire, great time for Khan to lay down a marker and deliver a rallying cry now that "I'm here for the long haul, we will return and the stand will get built !" Let's see what happens this month , worrying times though if he remains silent !

[Burt]

Would a fair summary be:

IF we stay up, it will go ahead.

IF we go down, it won't.

[MJG]

Would a fair summary be:

IF we stay up, it will go ahead.

IF we go down, it won't.

And if we go down and at Xmas looks good for a return they plan for summer 2015 start

[Riversider]

And if we go down and at Xmas looks good for a return they plan for summer 2015 start
[/quote]
I know I shouldn't bite, but I'm going to anyway, how the hell do you know when they plan to start ?
That decision hasn't even been made yet, so why tell people they plan to start next summer !
Lots of water to flow under the bridge over the next year, a year from now the least of our worries could be a new stand,
Stick to what you know and leave the bull s**t to others.

[MJG]

I'm not sure what your problem is. I was replying to Burt and gave a third option.
Any major works have to start in the summer. Hence I said Summer 2015 on the basis at Xmas we are doing well. This gives 5-6 months to get the contractors in place. It will take 15-16 months to do the work. So that timescale makes sense to me. Otherwise it has to be summer 2016.

So answer me this.. where did I say the work WILL start next year?

[Fulham76]

I'm not sure what your problem is. I was replying to Burt and gave a third option.
Any major works have to start in the summer. Hence I said Summer 2015 on the basis at Xmas we are doing well. This gives 5-6 months to get the contractors in place. It will take 15-16 months to do the work. So that timescale makes sense to me. Otherwise it has to be summer 2016.

So answer me this.. where did I say the work WILL start next year?

I know what you were getting at. And sounds like an option worth considering if we do go down & are playing well & well placed at Christmas.

[b+w geezer]

At last others seeing it for what it is.

There's a clear "first" about it, and, according to taste, an "at last" too

It's notably the first time the club has revealed that it may not proceed with the re-development. Previously it has only spoken of the strategic importance --this as recently as a few weeks ago when season-ticket renewal was canvassed. Only practical factors such as the need to satisfy the many conditions associated with planning permission have until now been cited as reason for delay.

This was a real, not fictional, reason, and so fair enough, but of course not one that would last indefinitely. Would another reason then emerge?

Well now it has. There's an "at last" about it for anyone who suspected that some other reason was bound to be given eventually. For my own part, I had a more open mind, as there was no ownership track record yet in matters of this kind. There now begins to be.

[premFlem]

I think in the riverside development some of our supporters are searching/waiting for the feel good factor of a committed owner.

[WayneKerrins]

At last others seeing it for what it is.

There's a clear "first" about it, and, according to taste, an "at last" too

It's notably the first time the club has revealed that it may not proceed with the re-development. Previously it has only spoken of the strategic importance --this as recently as a few weeks ago when season-ticket renewal was canvassed. Only practical factors such as the need to satisfy the many conditions associated with planning permission have until now been cited as reason for delay.

This was a real, not fictional, reason, and so fair enough, but of course not one that would last indefinitely. Would another reason then emerge?

Well now it has. There's an "at last" about it for anyone who suspected that some other reason was bound to be given eventually. For my own part, I had a more open mind, as there was no ownership track record yet in matters of this kind. There now begins to be.

Fair play.

Maybe my old intuition was on the mark, maybe it's just a sensible decision given our relegation.

[BishopsParkFantastic]

I would have hoped work would start this summer on building the new stand. We need to start work within the 3 years of planning permission being granted - whatever that work may be and even if it is the strengthening of the retaining wall! People are questioning whether Khan is committed to the new stand. I think he is, for very sound business reasons......

It will be a commercial asset to the club:  
- generating income from sales and hires in the restaurant and other catering / function outlets
- generate additional income from sponsors and advertising using the new facilities
- contain flats that can generate guaranteed high income from rents
- contain the highest value seats in the ground to increase income from ticket sales
- increasing tickets sales income by providing increased capacity for significant matches next season and necessary when we get back to the premiership!

It will be a community asset for the club:
- opening up the river walk, with cafe facilities will help develop and strengthen our links with the community and the amazing transformation in recreational facilities and cultural offering in Bishops Park. Khan has stressed his commitment to the community.

It will further raise the profile of the club and demonstrate the clubs confidence in the future:
- attractive to new players, potential sponsors, commercial partners and supporters alike

The club will have already invested hundreds of thousands of pounds on the design and preliminary plans. It takes time and resources to develop detailed plans (now that we have all approvals to proceed) materials and work schedules to proceed with the scheme. For all the above reasons - the new stand is not just a frivolous idea, I believe it is an important and necessary business and community project for the club.

I believe it will happen 049:gif

[MJG]

I would have hoped work would start this summer on building the new stand. We need to start work within the 3 years of planning permission being grant - whatever that work may be and even if it is the strengthening of the retaining wall! People are questioning whether Khan is committed to the new stand. I think he is, for very sound business reasons......

It will be a commercial asset to the club: 
- generating income from sales and hires in the restaurant and other catering / function outlets
- generate additional income from sponsors and advertising using the new facilities
- contain flats that can generate guaranteed high income from rents
- contain the highest value seats in the ground to increase income from ticket sales
- increasing tickets sales income by providing increased capacity for significant matches next season and necessary when we get back to the premiership!

It will be a community asset for the club:
- opening up the river walk, with cafe facilities will help develop and strengthen our links with the community and the amazing transformation in recreational facilities and cultural offering in Bishops Park. Khan has stressed his commitment to the community.

It will further raise the profile of the club and demonstrate the clubs confidence in the future:
- attractive to new players, potential sponsors, commercial partners and supporters alike

The club will have already invested hundreds of thousands of pounds on the design and preliminary plans. It takes time and resources to develop detailed plans (now that we have all approvals to proceed) materials and work schedules to proceed with the scheme. For all the above reasons - the new stand is not just a frivolous idea, I believe it is an important and necessary business and community project for the club.

I believe it will happen 049:gif

Work has to start by July 2016

[Roberty]

As always it is economics that will decide the Riverside developments fate and not time limits.

They may need to reapply but that will not be onerous.

They may also want to put forward an alternative scheme or amened the permission they already have.

In any event the riverside walk will be the key to planning issues at Craven Cottage and as long as the club have control of that they will always have the best hand in any negotiations.

[Fulham1959]

Well stated, BPF !

Can we send a copy of this 'justification' to the club, please ?  :clap_hands:

[Peabody]

I suggest everyone looks at the Chairmans programme notes from today's match. He states "Off the pitch the Riverside Stand project is progressing nicely behind the scenes and we hope to have something to discuss in the near future".

[One Martin Thomas]

I think in the riverside development some of our supporters are searching/waiting for the feel good factor of a committed owner.

I was waiting for this...  we've stagnated and not moved on (& up).  A new stand would boost everyone and it is not that much money from memory ?!  Someone remind me ??

[WayneKerrins]

I suggest everyone looks at the Chairmans programme notes from today's match. He states "Off the pitch the Riverside Stand project is progressing nicely behind the scenes and we hope to have something to discuss in the near future".

That I am afraid means very, very little: at least to me.