Cable Car "Investors impatient"

Another day, another step in the campaign by Adrian Bold and The Mercury:

http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/investors-impatient-says-proponent-as-tensions-rise-on-cable-car/story-fnj4f7k1-1226900239148

Some choice quotes in this article:

CABLE car proponent Adrian Bold will hold a meeting with potential investors in Zurich and Toronto tomorrow night to discuss the future of the $37 million project. 

“It’s quite clear their pat­ience is being tested — they need to consider their opt­ions,” Mr Bold said.

An interesting introduction, but who is testing their patience? A council with due process or a self-proclaimed "developer" not wanting to follow procedures?

He has been at odds with the Hobart City Council over the process surrounding the Mount Wellington cable car project.

His choice. He's only "at odds" because he wants to make his own rules.

“Council are well aware of the implications but are adamant about the process — they simply don’t appreciate the uniqueness of the project,’’ Mr Bold said.

It's hard to know what Bold is trying to achieve here. He's unlikely to convince anyone with this approach.

But back to that first line:

CABLE car proponent Adrian Bold will hold a meeting with potential investors in Zurich and Toronto tomorrow night to discuss the future of the $37 million project.

Switzerland: That'd be this company, listed as a partner on Bullwheel's website:  http://cable-car.net/

There's some fairly generic information on the site, but it all sounds rather familiar.

Checking the domain: cable-car.net

Registry Registrant ID:
Registrant Name: Steven Dale
Registrant Organization: ---
Registrant Street: 219 carlton st.
Registrant City: Toronto
Registrant State/Province: ON
Registrant Postal Code: M5A 2L2
Registrant Country: CA
Registrant Phone: +1.4165245056
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant Fax:
Registrant Fax Ext.:
Registrant Email: steven.e.dale@gmail.com
Registry Admin ID:
Admin Name: Steven Dale
Admin Organization: ---
Admin Street: 219 carlton st.
Admin City: Toronto
Admin State/Province: ON
Admin Postal Code: M5A 2L2
Admin Country: CA
Admin Phone: +1.4165245056
Admin Phone Ext.:
Admin Fax:
Admin Fax Ext.:
Admin Email: steven.e.dale@gmail.com

Steven Dale's name pops up again. It's also a relatively recent site and company, formed in June 2013.

The Toronto based connection would be Steven Dale's  Bullwheel International Cable Car Corp:  http://bullwheel.ca

Steven Dale makes no secret of the fact he's involved with both these companies and more:

• Chief Executive Officer at Bullwheel International Cable Car Corp.
• President at Creative Urban Projects Inc.
• Managing Director (Co) at Cable Car Consultants GmbH

Mount Wellington Cable Car Proposal Stuck

No surprises again, the Mount Wellington cable car proposal is stuck at (first) base:

http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/mt-wellington-cable-car-stuck-at-base-as-hobart-council-says-no-to-inprinciple-support/story-fnj4f7k1-1226898729425

The reasons are a little different for this one: the developer Adrian Bold doesn't seem to have done his homework.

The issues raised in the article have been discussed before, Alderman Ron Christie even wrote a letter which was published in The Mercury on Saturday April the 26th outlining the processes a developer is required to follow:

1. Talk to the Wellington Park Trust regarding extending the pinnacle zone to allow for development.
2. Then lodge a development application with the Hobart City Council

See agenda item 18 for more detail: http://www.hobartcity.com.au/files/95ae22a5-e17a-465d-9357-a316010872cd/280414_Open_Council_Agenda.pdf

The council can't give "in-principle" support to anything without plans, this has been clear for quite some time.

Are the investors wary of committing to the project if it isn't certain it will go ahead? This is understandable, but there must be some element of risk accepted by the developer and investors.

The investors appear to be an outfit called Bullwheel International Cable Car Corp: http://bullwheel.ca/

It's hard to find much information about them. Two projects listed on their website are yet to be commenced, while a third is "To Be Announced".

Bullwheel's partners include CUPS ( http://creativeurbanprojects.com/ ), which is another site by Bullwheel's CEO Steven Dale.

The CUPS website then links to another of Steven Dale's websites:  The Gondola Project ( http://gondolaproject.com/ ). This appears to be quite a comprehensive resource devoted to "cable-propelled transit".

The Bullwheel website has a brief bio on Steven Dale, which includes the line:

Steven has managed and developed projects around the globe; is frequently profiled in major media outlets; has co-published several peer reviewed journal articles; and travels constantly in order to help educate people about the unique value that cable transit systems can offer urban environments.

While it's hard to fault the in-depth knowledge and enthusiasm of the backers, the lack of publicly accessible information regarding developments funded by the investor Bullwheel International Cable Car Corp and projects completed by Steven Dale make it difficult to determine their experience with such developments.

The lack of proper plans by MWCC could also be a sticking point. Perhaps they're waiting for approval first.

Parliament Square Development Stalled

Old news by now, but once again a development in Hobart has stalled.

It could be related to asbestos:

http://www.themercury.com.au/lifestyle/union-claims-asbestos-find-halts-parliament-square-work/story-fnj64ocs-1226885624026

Or perhaps pay and conditions:

http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/cfmeu-workers-walk-off-job-at-hobarts-parliament-square-development/story-fnj4f7k1-1226880582351

I can't wait to read some happy news about a worthwhile development actually being completed. Perhaps the carpark + more on the corner of Argyle and Bathurst will be the next to be finished.

There's some very good information and discussion on Parliament Square (and other developments) on SkyscraperCity.