Alf uckem
31st January 2007, 07:19 AM
Im gonna be a skint bunny soon:(
Viva Las Eastlands
We've hosted the Commonwealth Games, held a multitude of international cultural events, provide Europe’s biggest music conference and housed the England football team, yet few predicted that Manchester would be given the UK's first super-casino.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/images/2007/01/30/manchester_super_casino_470x150.jpg
The super-casino (artist's impression)
The city was up against six other cities to win the licence for the casino and was considered an outsider, but the Department of Culture, Media and Sport decided that the bid to set up the casino in East Manchester was the right one for the whole country.
Let the good times roll? Have your say on the super-casino >
Super-regenerator
The question is: what will it mean to the city? The proposed site, next to the City of Manchester Stadium in Beswick, would see a £265m investment.
The proposed location for the super-casino
The proposed location for the super-casino
There’s little doubt that the area needs such an impetus. Despite how much Manchester has changed in recent years, East Manchester is still the third most deprived area in the country.
It has been subject to redevelopment since the formation of the East Manchester Initiative in the 1980s, but it was the building of Sportcity for the Commonwealth Games in 2002, with its centrepiece, the City of Manchester Stadium, that really kicked the regeneration into top gear.
Alongside the stadium sit the Velodrome and the National Squash Centre, both international venues, and there have been housing, business and commercial developments, the most recent being a £3.5m state-of-the-art primary school.
video See the proposed location for the super-casino >
Audio and Video links on this page require Realplayer
So the legacy of the Games and the work of New East Manchester Partnership has led to greater employment opportunities, environmental improvements and a resurgent sense of pride in the community of the area, and it’s hoped that the casino will continue this trend. Certainly, the proposal’s claim that it will create 2,700 direct and indirect jobs is good news.
Super-visitors
City of Manchester stadium - exterior
City of Manchester stadium - exterior
Of course, Manchester City Council sees the casino not just as a development opportunity and an employment generator, but also as a boost for tourism. In its proposal, it put forward the argument that “the regional casino development at Sportcity would be a national and international destination, underpinned by a range of high quality entertainment and leisure facilities.”
There’s little opposition to such an idea. One of the other applicants, Blackpool, saw the increased tourism as one of the main reasons to bid for the casino. Interestingly, the Council claim that Sportcity is already the fastest growing visitor destination in the North West, so just how high the casino will push visitor numbers is anyone’s guess.
Super-design
Roulette
The wheel turns to Manchester
The Council claim it “would be designed to the highest standards to complement the iconic form of the City of Manchester Stadium.” Iconic looking it may well be, but what will be really staggering will be the size.
It is expected that the regional casino will have a minimum customer area of 5,000m². That huge gaming floor will be needed too, as alongside the plethora of entertainment and table-based gaming, there’s going to be up to 1,250 unlimited jackpot gaming machines!
And it’s not just the casino. The complex will also house an entertainment arena, a swimming pool, an urban sports venue, restaurants, bars, a nightclub and a hotel.
Super-idea?
Ministers have argued that the casino will boost regeneration, but opponents say it will lead to more problem gambling. So what do you think: is a super-casino the right decision for East Manchester?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2007/01/30/300107_super_casino_feature.shtml
fancy putting a super casino less than half a mile from my house(a)
Viva Las Eastlands
We've hosted the Commonwealth Games, held a multitude of international cultural events, provide Europe’s biggest music conference and housed the England football team, yet few predicted that Manchester would be given the UK's first super-casino.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/images/2007/01/30/manchester_super_casino_470x150.jpg
The super-casino (artist's impression)
The city was up against six other cities to win the licence for the casino and was considered an outsider, but the Department of Culture, Media and Sport decided that the bid to set up the casino in East Manchester was the right one for the whole country.
Let the good times roll? Have your say on the super-casino >
Super-regenerator
The question is: what will it mean to the city? The proposed site, next to the City of Manchester Stadium in Beswick, would see a £265m investment.
The proposed location for the super-casino
The proposed location for the super-casino
There’s little doubt that the area needs such an impetus. Despite how much Manchester has changed in recent years, East Manchester is still the third most deprived area in the country.
It has been subject to redevelopment since the formation of the East Manchester Initiative in the 1980s, but it was the building of Sportcity for the Commonwealth Games in 2002, with its centrepiece, the City of Manchester Stadium, that really kicked the regeneration into top gear.
Alongside the stadium sit the Velodrome and the National Squash Centre, both international venues, and there have been housing, business and commercial developments, the most recent being a £3.5m state-of-the-art primary school.
video See the proposed location for the super-casino >
Audio and Video links on this page require Realplayer
So the legacy of the Games and the work of New East Manchester Partnership has led to greater employment opportunities, environmental improvements and a resurgent sense of pride in the community of the area, and it’s hoped that the casino will continue this trend. Certainly, the proposal’s claim that it will create 2,700 direct and indirect jobs is good news.
Super-visitors
City of Manchester stadium - exterior
City of Manchester stadium - exterior
Of course, Manchester City Council sees the casino not just as a development opportunity and an employment generator, but also as a boost for tourism. In its proposal, it put forward the argument that “the regional casino development at Sportcity would be a national and international destination, underpinned by a range of high quality entertainment and leisure facilities.”
There’s little opposition to such an idea. One of the other applicants, Blackpool, saw the increased tourism as one of the main reasons to bid for the casino. Interestingly, the Council claim that Sportcity is already the fastest growing visitor destination in the North West, so just how high the casino will push visitor numbers is anyone’s guess.
Super-design
Roulette
The wheel turns to Manchester
The Council claim it “would be designed to the highest standards to complement the iconic form of the City of Manchester Stadium.” Iconic looking it may well be, but what will be really staggering will be the size.
It is expected that the regional casino will have a minimum customer area of 5,000m². That huge gaming floor will be needed too, as alongside the plethora of entertainment and table-based gaming, there’s going to be up to 1,250 unlimited jackpot gaming machines!
And it’s not just the casino. The complex will also house an entertainment arena, a swimming pool, an urban sports venue, restaurants, bars, a nightclub and a hotel.
Super-idea?
Ministers have argued that the casino will boost regeneration, but opponents say it will lead to more problem gambling. So what do you think: is a super-casino the right decision for East Manchester?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2007/01/30/300107_super_casino_feature.shtml
fancy putting a super casino less than half a mile from my house(a)