As I read in today’s article by Sion Barry at Wales Online in today’s Western Mail outlining the rise of the Capital Quarter, I felt I should outline reasons why our politicians and citizens owe so much to some real risk-taking entrepreneurs.
For example, as Sion outlines in his article without a vision and courage of John Smart and his family when they acquired an unassuming industrial site in Tyndall Street during those very worrying times with such uncertainty in the world financial market, the Capital Quarter might never have happened. The thought of building speculative office premises must have seemed crazy to many but not for the Smart family.
Another of our property entrepreneurs’ risks takers is Paul McCarthy of RightAcres whom the city owes so much for his spectacular buildings in Central Square.
More recently we must congratulate Nigel and Andrew Roberts formerly of Paramount Office Interiors for their vision and plans for a major new main line station in St Mellons, currently called Cardiff Parkway.
As we recover from the decision made by the Welsh government not to proceed with the M4 relief road, this vital piece of infrastructure must go ahead as it will help to alleviate the terrible congestion on the A48 going into and out of Cardiff during our rush hours. The station together with planned extension of the St Mellons Business Park will create important new office space.
Without our property entrepreneurs several whom I have not mentioned by name, our wonderful city would not be enjoying both its current and projected growth which is forecasted over the next ten years.
On behalf of myself and fellow citizens of Cardiff thank you JR Smart, Paul McCarthy and the Roberts family to name a few, for helping to make our city part of one of Europe’s fastest growing city regions.
As Mark Sulton of Knight Frank says, “With record levels of take up, this provision of new Grade A office space has been vital to help drive the Cardiff Office market and encourage inward investment to further strength the Welsh economy.”
By Rob Petersen,
Managing Director