Holiday makers looking to shop overseas for property for investment, retirement or just plain holidaying, don"t forget to pack:
"Buying Property Abroad" from the consumer group Which?.
The guide claims to help you avoid the common pitfalls and turn a pipe dream into and feasable investment. Book price GBP8.99
NB
Copyright 2006 - Homzz.net Property and Real Estate Press
Short: US hotel operator Hilton Hotels Corporation is expected to exchange contracts for the sale of its Hilton Metropele Hotels in London and Birmingham for �420 mn GBP to Tonstate Property Group.
Tonstate are said to be keen to retain the operator as de facto manager/operator after the purchase.
Source
Footfalls
Sale of the iconic Metlife built apartments called Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, has generated a great deal of heated debate around its potential sale.
Originally the apartments were constructed to house WW2 veterans and have since become an affordable middle class enclave, with cultural diversity of a modern multi-cultural city, which has become one of its unique selling points.
The buyers, Blackrock realty and Tishman Speyer sought to reassure the existing tenants that rents would not suddenly rocket, though some have commented that at a estimated market value of $.5 mn USD per apartment, how long such a sentiment will last is open to question.
House Of Fraser’s iconic headquarters in Howick Place, London has been sold to AIM listed property developer for a fee of �60mn GBP.
The Construction Process
A huge project like the construction of Wembley stadium involves a variety of separate tasks and stages. Here is a guide to the main elements of this considerable project, alongside an approximate timetable.
September 2002 The old stadium is demolished and the site is flattened using mechanical shears, nicknamed Goliath. This vehicle, with a reach of 35 metres, is the largest machine of it’s kind in the world. Following the demolition process, as many materials as possible are recycled.
October 2002 Piling begins as soon as sufficient space is cleared. The piles, which form the foundations for the concrete raft upon which the new stadium sits, run 35m deep. This, incidentally, is the height of the old Twin Towers! The pitch area is excavated with the new pitch level set at 4m below the old one.
Mid 2003 Assembly of the steel Arch that forms the skeleton of the stadium begins on the southern side of the site. The Arch weighs 1, 650 tonnes and serves the crucial function of supporting the 7,000 tonne roof. Work on the south side is restricted until the 133 metre by 315 metre iconic structure is raised.
Late 2003 With much of the substructure in place, work begins on the steel frame that forms the skeleton of the new stadium.
Early 2004 The terracing supports and terracing units start to be erected. Mid 2004 The arch is rotated into place using a jack and mast system and held in place with temporary cables. The raising of the Arch allows the work to be completed on the southern side of the stadium and the roof structure to be put in place.
Mechanical, electrical and block-work is also substantially progressed. All this activity leads to the site’s busiest time with approximately 1, 500 people working at the same time.
Meanwhile, the cultivation of Wembley’s famous grass gets underway at an off-site location.
To find out more about the Arch click here.
Late 2004 The fit out of the stadium gets substantially underway with materials for changing rooms, toilets and restaurants all arriving on site.
With construction now completed the Stadium will officially open with The FA Cup Final on 13 May 2006. This will be the first of many glorious events to be staged at Wembley over future years.
On Friday 31st March 2006 Wembley Stadium announced that all events scheduled to be held at the Stadium in 2006 were cancelled. For the Wembley Stadium statement click here
Remaining construction work (as of 31/03/06):
Finish sliding roof
Complete internal fit out
Finish pitch and install turf
Complete Stadium bowl including seats and scoreboards
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