Boho X debacle in Middlesbrough

J

JustTheGent

Well-known member
They were supposed to have started building this place by now with a helipad on top :LOL:

What's the purpose of building new office accommodation when there's already plenty of it standing empty; including better quality office space than is being proposed. This is at a time when commercial value of office space is sinking faster than the titanic. It's worth reading the article below. In response to there been lots of vacant office space, Andy Preston says “That’s because it’s all ****. Nobody has built a decent F***ing office in Middlesbrough for decades.” Preston goes on to admit he has a range of business interests around the area of the Boho X site.

https://www.theguardian.com/artandd...-digital-skyscraper-boho-x-mayor-andy-preston
 
This Pandemic has proven that there are so many Companies are happy for their employees to work from home. Our lass made a rare visit into work today to see other staff coming in and taking chairs etc home as they have been told they will not be back before Christmas. So why the need for more EMPTY office blocks.
 
Norfolkred1 said:
This Pandemic has proven that there are so many Companies are happy for their employees to work from home. Our lass made a rare visit into work today to see other staff coming in and taking chairs etc home as they have been told they will not be back before Christmas. So why the need for more EMPTY office blocks.
Click to expand...

Probably not right away but demand will go back up. Not everyone can hack working from home permanently - it requires more rooms in your house to stop you driving people insane and cluttering up your house, a good work ethic and it’s hard to foster good working relationships. If you’re in role and know everyone it’s great (for a bit) but switch jobs or have to train people and it’s far harder.
 
TheFair86 said:
Probably not right away but demand will go back up. Not everyone can hack working from home permanently - it requires more rooms in your house to stop you driving people insane and cluttering up your house, a good work ethic and it’s hard to foster good working relationships. If you’re in role and know everyone it’s great (for a bit) but switch jobs or have to train people and it’s far harder.
Click to expand...
Totally agree with you, our lass lives in the spare bedroom, laptop etc. She has had to discipline herself to breaks, lunch etc. Luckily when I'm not working I move into the shed and look busy. I have spoken to a number of people working from home and some really don't to go back into the environment.
 
JustTheGent said:
They were supposed to have started building this place by now with a helipad on top :LOL:

What's the purpose of building new office accommodation when there's already plenty of it standing empty; including better quality office space than is being proposed. This is at a time when commercial value of office space is sinking faster than the titanic. It's worth reading the article below. In response to there been lots of vacant office space, Andy Preston says “That’s because it’s all ****. Nobody has built a decent F***ing office in Middlesbrough for decades.” Preston goes on to admit he has a range of business interests around the area of the Boho X site.

https://www.theguardian.com/artandd...-digital-skyscraper-boho-x-mayor-andy-preston
Click to expand...
Cheers for the post, I subscribe to the guardian but missed that article.
The comments were good too.
I last worked in Boro centre in the early 90's so I don't have any recent experience but I'd agree that you need more than just a few tower blocks to get people to stay.
 
Leaving my opinion of Andy Preston to one side for a moment, I hardly think this counts as a debacle just yet. In the present climate I'm not surprised that large projects such as this are a little behind. Whenever discussion is raised on these towers people always refer back to other new offices in town, and if they have been filled yet, but that isn't the point. Boho has a particular aim, and that is to provide work space for digital media and technology companies and to encourage graduates to start up and stay in the area. Another consideration that this project addresses, along with similar plans for other parts of town, is to bring living back to the town centre to breathe some badly needed life into it.

Perhaps a little ambition isn't a bad thing. Afterall, Rockefeller started building Manhattan in the middle of the depression. As for Preston, I think he is a snake oil salesman who only ran for mayor for his own ends but if he can put his conmanship to good use and start to make things happen in this town then I'm prepared to give him that chance.
 
I am not familiar with the building, but there will be some need for offices in the future. I have a small business with a showroom which needs to be manned. However when I need to work with someone I would happily rent office space by the day. If we are conducting interviews, then again an office suite with reception works well.
Those in creative industries often need to collaborate to share ideas. I don't want to bring people into my own home office so a flexible working arrangement would be fine. The traditional head office function may well downsize as we go on line with meetings but I dont think that this is sustainable for the long term.
 
Very good reason to be sceptical, especially if something doesn't make sense. Now the original plan looks like it's a non-starter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top