It turns out the Open All R's regular 'Chris Mendes' is actually the son of Cargiant boss Tony Mendes. I've paraphrased in my title, but he essentially says that the land isn't for sale, and "it'd be great if QPR found somewhere that was realistic". Skip to 48.30 to hear: http://soundcloud.com/playbackmedia/an-evening-with-gerry-francis/ He also read out an exclusive official statement from cargiant: "We are very surprised by QPR's PR campaign regarding a proposed new stadium in Old Oak Common and in particular on land owned by Cargaint. The company are not in negotiations with QPR and will not enter into any future talks with the club. The company will announce in due course details of its own scheme for the regeneration of its land holdings, that will incorporate the residential units, jobs and community facilities that the GLA detailed in their vision for the regeneration for the area. Cargiant's commercial arm of the business view this opportunity as a long term investment opportunity. In regards to the threat of CPO, there is no legal basis on which to serve a CPO on Cargiant. We are a willing developer. This not also a 'tool' to increase the land value to QPR or anyone else. If the company wanted to pursue this route, it would be talking to other developers, which we are not. We are fully committed to regenerate our land. We have the funding and the professionals in place to do it."
Chris Mendes is a diehard QPR fan and on the Podcast most weeks...so this is very worrying. He genuinely seems to believe the proposed stadium plans are totally unrealistic- and it sounds like he'd know! I can only hope his dad's given him a totally skewed view proceedings, and their belief that a Compulsory Purchase Order won't happen is idealistically driven.
Now that is an intresting / worrying twist. He's right up on QPR and he would have been watching an feeding all info back. I collegue of Clive and Finney. Have to check what Finney says on twitter. Not listened to it yet but plan to tonight now i've read this !
The way I read that is that Car Giant want to develop as per plans "including the community facilities that the GLA detailed in their vision..." I see that as them owning the stadium and leasing to the club. The absolute refusal is to sell. Nothing in there to prevent rental / leasing discussions. Can't see Tony, Amit and Lakshmi being happy with that. New Queens Park in Hillingdon anyone?
Hmmm, Fernandes and Mittal may have overestimated what a few tinpot local politicians, including a mayor who won't care less about Old Oak in a year's time, saying 'yes, we'd like that' actually means in a country with laws and processes, their being used to slightly laxer arrangements elsewhere. Long, long way to go on this, but the PR blitz looks a little ill conceived. In what sense is a stadium for a professional club a 'community facility'? It's a commercial development. The development doesn't need a football stadium, Wembley is just down the road. Only QPR need a football stadium. Danish, Imaz and Rhino (and, God help us, Flyer) I am beginning to get it.
Who's in charge of Cargiant's PR campaign? They're playing a blinder seeing as how they are so successfully undermining TF's support within his own club's fan base. They say everybody has their price, Mendes feels his hasn't been reached yet, so he is appealing publicly to the hearts and minds of the faithful and not doing a bad job so far. Shouldn't they be sitting across the table from each other talking numbers?
There's much more profit for them if they develop the land themselves, because they own the land and don't have to pay for it.
it really is a strange situation. tony and co are spending millions on getting plans drawn up for a stadium on land they don't own and by all accounts have very little chance of owning. all the positivity from the fans and local businesses count for nothing I'm afraid.
Bingo! Even then as owners of the land generally there are "contributions" to council schemes such as traffic monitoring etc to be made alongside the cost of drawing up the project itself. Small amounts generally but in a project this size I reckon we could well be into six figures. It's not corruption, just the way things are done here in the UK.
Aha, I suspected that there was a connection! There can't be that many die-hard QPR fans called Mendes. I have to say that this all seems a very bizarre and unnecessary situation. There are several facts here which should add-up to the ideal situation, but somehow don't. 1) There is a large chunk of land near our current stadium, which is big enough for us to build our stadium, with brilliant transport links. 2) This land is owned by longstanding QPR season ticket holders 3) The land is definitely going to be redeveloped 4) We have extremely wealthy owners 5) The move provides a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to increase our capacity, our fan-base, and become self sustaining. So, it should happen, right? It would be absolute madness to miss this golden opportunity because of greed, and stubbornness. Madness!
I think the key factor is we don't know what has gone on behind closed doors. Don't forget when we first heard it confirmed in the press about old oak it was because of the GLA announcing the proposed regeneration, even Boris piped up about the new stadium. The statement from car giant is a weird one as it seems a rehash of a statement they released a month ago, but again they say they're not in negotiations with the club, but a statement 2 weeks ago said they had been and turned down a derisory offer, so which is it, there are negotiations or not? It seems to me car giant are just worried they're going to lose the land regardless, they know that and are just trying to make some noise in order to get the best price. They know full well, being run by a QPR fan that we need this site. They know we have been in advanced negotiations with all the relevant parties and have their backing for our proposed plans. In this case, car giant may well have come up with plans, but who would serve the community more, a commercial second hand car business, or a local football team with the backing of highly wealthy commercial businessmen and a community project scheme which has already been helping the community with award winning program's? We are in pole position by far and I'm sure our offer will eventually go up and car giants posturing will diminish.
Who's greed and stubbornness? I am not familiar with the entire site, but I am assuming that Cargiant don't own it all. All QPR need is a piece of land big enough to build a stadium on, not one big enough to build a stadium, 24,000 homes and office space for 55,000 jobs. Our owners want the lot.......why? Profit (or greed if you like). Why is there no Plan B? Because, I'm guessing, no other site could conceivably offer the return on investment this one offers. And a stand alone stadium development may actually offer very little. Perhaps a deal will be hammered out, but I don't think this has much to do with securing the future of the club, we are just a potentially useful vehicle to help rich people get richer. Good luck to them, what is essentially an ugly wasteland should get developed, someone will make cash out of it, might as well be them.
So Cargiant, even before QPR came along had redevelopment plans already in place ?? Dont think so. Cargiant have resources on the scale of TF and Mittals ?? Dont think so. So is this just posturing on Cargiant's behalf, that TF and co dont want Cargiant as part of their redevelopment consortium .... THINK SO !!
This is my view sorry if this has been already mentioned by any else. It is not just us that want the land. it is a lot of rich developers. I am guessing they have this problem all the time. Were some one does not ant to leave the land they these guys want. I get the feeling the Mr car giant just wants more money by say he has big plans for development blah blah. I am sure there are guys involve with this that have a lot more than Tony who will sort this out. All of a sudden Mr Car Giant will change his mind as all of a sudden he got an offer he could not refuse.
Forgive my ignorance on the subject, however, if the government decide QPR's plans for the site would benefit the public and issue a CPO, what choice do Car Giant have?
None but it's a big if. Another if is what if the government decides Car Giant's plans for the site are the way to go. I have a bad feeling about this.
Here's the bit I can't get my head around.......... Mr Mendes explained that contact between the two parties has previously been poor. “We don’t want to take the club on – we very much have the club in our heart,” he said. “I have supported the club since I was a kid, 1977 was my first game. I went to Christopher Wren School round the corner from the ground, and have been a season ticket holder for years. “We used to sponsor QPR – we supported the club when it was on its knees.” http://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/qpr/cargiant_boss_rules_out_a_new_qpr_stadium_by_2018_1_3756333
The club announced it's plans in December, the 2 questions I'd like answered is. If car giant had their own plans why wait 8 months to mention it? Have they bought any extra land since the club made the announcement? I suspect this is them trying to make as much money as possible (which I don't blame them for they are businessmen). It's a pity the club didn't buy up as much land as they needed before announcing their plans then if CG were serious about redeveloping and enlarging their site we'd be in the strong position and not them. Spuds are in a similar position over their new ground because of a company refusing to move.
I agree with most of that. When I mentioned greed I wasn't apportioning it. I think that greed is a potential stumbling factor from both sides. However, securing a larger stadium absolutely is essential for the future of the club, there's no doubt about that IMHO. If the owners and the club pocket some money along the way then I've personally no problem with that either. To be honest I'd much rather that happens then the club stays at Loftus Road, sinks into obscurity and the Mendes family do a bog standard redevelopment and pocket the profits.
Agree, but we can't assume that Car Giant's plans will be bog standard. I'd just like us to have a back up, even if its out in the west wastelands somewhere - puts pressure on everyone to keep Old Oak moving. I know its been done to death and is impossible, but I keep thinking if Hammersmith and Fulham want us to stay so much, why not help us with CPOs to buy housing around LR, relocate the school and let us stay where we are, with a year at Fulham.
