IMAX site ‘should host sporting events’

8:39am Wednesday 4th April 2012 in Bournemouth By Darren Slade, Chief Reporter

IMAX site ‘should host sporting events’ IMAX site ‘should host sporting events’

THE next mayor of Bournemouth has called for an emphasis on sporting events on the site of the Imax cinema.

The Waterfront complex, which houses the Imax, is due to be demolished later this year to make way for an open air events space.

Bournemouth council, which will have spent £8.5million acquiring the building and demolishing it, wants a space suitable for Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra concerts, dance and drama performances, pop concerts and sports events.

Boscombe West councillor Phil Stanley-Watts, the town’s mayor-elect, pictured, said: “I’m urging that there are as many sports events there as possible and that they’re there in the winter time.

“There should be some kind of hi-tech flexible roof on the site so it could house culture and sport.

“Also it’s important that we have the maximum number of spectator spaces so as many people can use it as possible.”

The Imax was once voted England’s worst building and demolition of it should begin in the autumn to prevent disruption during the summer season.

Council leader Cllr John Beesley said last week that the council was not prepared to let it sit there in its current form and they were responding to public demand by demolishing the building now.

The events programme at the site is likely to be managed by BH Live, which operates the council’s other entertainment and leisure venues.

A report on the Imax building will go before the cabinet on April 25, when councillors will be urged to back the demolition plans.

What you think: a good idea for the town?

• ABI Kimber, 23, a bar supervisor from Christchurch, said: “I think the Imax is a bit dated. I have lived here for 23 years and I have never been in there. An open air centre sounds good.”

• EVA Rode, 44, of Boscombe and works in catering, said: “It’s lots better than it was and there are more things in there now. But it is good they are knocking it down as it ruins the view.”

• JAMES Fletcher, 40, a retail manager from Lytchett Matravers, said: “I understand it is an eyesore. I think it would have been good to have had a water park and that was one of the ideas.”

Comments(25)

bourne free says...
8:44am Wed 4 Apr 12

Why not put a bike / skate jump park with a foam pit in there , im sure Animal would be interested in helping out with that ? something the young can use in the wet and dark ?

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Dorset Mitch says...
9:05am Wed 4 Apr 12

Is there not venues nearby for concerts and dance/drama performances?

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mikey2gorgeous says...
9:29am Wed 4 Apr 12

The council claims that "they were responding to public demand by demolishing the building now".

Given that the cost of buying and demolishing it is approx £115 per household (something like 8% of the average council tax bill) - I don't think it's a good use of my money.

Perhaps it's an eyesore, but there are far more important local services that desperately need that money.

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wallydown says...
9:36am Wed 4 Apr 12

Sport! !! Is that your best shot ? The majority of people simply dont do and dont want to do sport .whatever happens to it ,it needs a wider appeal

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wallydown says...
9:41am Wed 4 Apr 12

A mini Eden Project across the whole of the pier approach and integrating with the aquarium would be a massive money spinner

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Gastines2 says...
9:48am Wed 4 Apr 12

Use it,don't waste another £2million to give us a very expensive plot which will be unusuable in most months of the year. Paint the bl--dy view on the outside if that's going to lose us £10million+, not forgetting the income that the building could be earning while our councillors bu--er about.

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Couchy125 says...
9:57am Wed 4 Apr 12

bourne free wrote:
Why not put a bike / skate jump park with a foam pit in there , im sure Animal would be interested in helping out with that ? something the young can use in the wet and dark ?
That's a good idea. Skate board area. Then they won't keep damaging the new steps at the rear of the pavilion.ive aloes for the police and security to remove these idiots but my concern falls on deaf ears.

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BarrHumbug says...
10:17am Wed 4 Apr 12

What a load of rubbish, why is it just because we are hosting the Olympics everyone wants to build some sort of sports venue believing it will offer some sort of legacy! Well for starters wake up, the Olympics is on in 3 months, by the time the IMAX is demolished and a sports event venue is built we'll be watching the 2016 Olympics from Rio!
For me it will be a sad day when they pull it down, not because I like the building, I don't, but because of the monumental waste of money.
The council bought back the building as a vote winner, In these current times had the public been told the true cost of buying back the building, paying off the tenants to move them out, sitting on it for 2+ years with no revenue coming in and an outlay for security etc, then the cost to pull it down and build something to replace it and finally the much smaller future revenue from a part time events venue, how is that ever going to recoup the cost, and what other services have suffered, will suffer to pay for this, or will we end up footing the bill?
I would rather they approach Cinema chains with the option to re open the IMAX, re lent the food and drink outlets and get some rent and revenue in rather than spend more on pulling it down and building something that will generate less income?

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wallydown says...
10:28am Wed 4 Apr 12

Couchy125 wrote:
bourne free wrote:
Why not put a bike / skate jump park with a foam pit in there , im sure Animal would be interested in helping out with that ? something the young can use in the wet and dark ?
That's a good idea. Skate board area. Then they won't keep damaging the new steps at the rear of the pavilion.ive aloes for the police and security to remove these idiots but my concern falls on deaf ears.
Millions of pounds to create ······· a skate park for local scroats . Definately not ,they can jump on the bus to slades farm out of the way
how exactly is a skate park a universal attraction when the people who might use it are at school all day so everyone else on pier approach during the day has to look at a plywood playground and then wont want to be in the area when groups of chavs congregate there at other times , if we cant create something better than that we`re in a bad way

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beachcomber1 says...
10:34am Wed 4 Apr 12

does anyone else get a sad feeling of foreboding about this? surf reef fiasco again? whatever replaces it will end up costing 10 times as much and will not be viable. the track record of the council has not been great.

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BBC Escapee says...
10:36am Wed 4 Apr 12

An "Open Air Events Space", lets hope it does not sit there after demolition as a derelict site like the old bus station! Oh sorry residents we have already spent 8.5 million, money is a bit tight so we are going to use the land as a temporary car park for the next ten years! or with Bournemouth Borough Councils current track record - we have just bought it for 8.5 million, money is a bit tight so we need to sell it to XYZ development company for lets say 2 million, triple brandies all round, good day at the office!

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CourtOffside says...
10:39am Wed 4 Apr 12

Snow dome please.

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Olheart says...
10:44am Wed 4 Apr 12

IMAX site ‘should host sporting events’
No if shouldn’t. The site is small the only reason you could get lots of people into when it was a cinema is because of the raised seats, but if you have raised seats and a cleaver roof structure to have sporting events you might as well not knock it down.

I think the best thing to go there would be a skate park and play area for little kids. Look at the skate park they built in Weymouth very well used and at least it would mean they don’t use the gardens and the square.

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DemonDiva says...
10:45am Wed 4 Apr 12

EVA Rode, 44, of Boscombe and works in catering, said: “It’s lots better than it was and there are more things in there now.

Have I missed something? I thought the building was empty and had been since the council bought out the tenants.

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Olheart says...
10:51am Wed 4 Apr 12

The gardens has loads of space for the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra concerts, dance and drama performances. Use what you already have. The BIC or pavilion has space for Pop concerts and exactly what sort of sporting events can be held and watched on the Imax site. Its small !!!
If its open then its weather dependant so can really only be used in the short summer. People don’t want to freeze sitting outside in the winter to watch an Orchestra.
Council sort out the ideas properly. You already have a plan for a skate park for horse shoe common, just adapt it to the Imax site.

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wallydown says...
11:04am Wed 4 Apr 12

Olheart wrote:
The gardens has loads of space for the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra concerts, dance and drama performances. Use what you already have. The BIC or pavilion has space for Pop concerts and exactly what sort of sporting events can be held and watched on the Imax site. Its small !!!
If its open then its weather dependant so can really only be used in the short summer. People don’t want to freeze sitting outside in the winter to watch an Orchestra.
Council sort out the ideas properly. You already have a plan for a skate park for horse shoe common, just adapt it to the Imax site.
Lets get one thing straight here and now . It will never be a skate park so forget it ,there would be an uproar if they ever try that one
skateparks are like PPI .we dont need it,dont want it .dont have any use for it . And certainly not in this location .let me repeat for your benefit they have built one at Slades Farm if thats your desire please go there

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mikey2gorgeous says...
11:47am Wed 4 Apr 12

wallydown wrote:
Olheart wrote:
The gardens has loads of space for the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra concerts, dance and drama performances. Use what you already have. The BIC or pavilion has space for Pop concerts and exactly what sort of sporting events can be held and watched on the Imax site. Its small !!!
If its open then its weather dependant so can really only be used in the short summer. People don’t want to freeze sitting outside in the winter to watch an Orchestra.
Council sort out the ideas properly. You already have a plan for a skate park for horse shoe common, just adapt it to the Imax site.
Lets get one thing straight here and now . It will never be a skate park so forget it ,there would be an uproar if they ever try that one
skateparks are like PPI .we dont need it,dont want it .dont have any use for it . And certainly not in this location .let me repeat for your benefit they have built one at Slades Farm if thats your desire please go there
You obviously don't know much about skate parks if you think the Slade's Farm one is either adequate or should be listed as a tourist attraction! Bournemouth needs a modern, indoor skate facility that has the capacity for tourists as well as the large local skating population.

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bourne free says...
12:26pm Wed 4 Apr 12

Wallydown / your the only one to suggest puting a garden in there !
Give the kids and even grown ups something to do in bournemouth when its wet or dark ?
A eden garden , cant wait for that!

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wonderway says...
1:12pm Wed 4 Apr 12

BOURNEMOUTH HAS SEA FRONT ATTRACTION ...never mind soon there will be clouds of brick dust sound of jack hammers and tearing plastic and metal as a amusement only costing 9 million pounds starts it seasonal farce roll up roll up see the world most expensive FOLLY all at the expense of local tax payers so get your expensive tea coffee and deckchair and watch the Bournemouth council in action 9 million pounds of your council tax being flattened to have a fantastic open air facility that will be used full in our wet and soggy summers so why spend a pound when your council can spend 50 pounds for every person in Bournemouth for this total folly get there early limited spaces before council charge entrance fee ............. also you can jump on over priced noddy train which can take you to Bournemouth second folly the 3.6 million pound surf reef John Beasley and Tony Williams will give £100 to anyone proving that this reef is actual preforming to the required standards ........... never mind the 12 million ponds lost on these ventures would have kept open sites for adult learning and disabled people for 19 YEARS in stead of closing them also the £700,000 for planning for ice rink (the folly that never was started) would have would have kept bus service that were cut .................... great financial working of our Tory council ............. things can only get worse lol

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Gastines2 says...
2:56pm Wed 4 Apr 12

Can the Council hold their April 25th meeting,ostensibly on a vote wether to demolish by Morgan Sindall for the outrageous sum of £2million, in the Imax building. Allow members of the public holding a council tax bill to watch and learn exactly how these councillors arrive at their decisions.Everything seems to be a done deal at the moment particularly when it comes to deciding what is right for us locals,whether we think so or not, followed up by some very dubious contracts being dished out.
Perhaps Mr Slade or Ms Vass could do a complete bit of reporting and find out the grittier side of the stories for us?

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H2o-hara says...
2:58pm Wed 4 Apr 12

A salt water swimming pool or water park. No more boozy noise venues please .

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pete woodley says...
5:35pm Wed 4 Apr 12

How about goat racing,seeing as the goats are not far away,and AFCB,could practice shooting,they certainly need to.

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wallydown says...
8:25am Thu 5 Apr 12

bourne free wrote:
Wallydown / your the only one to suggest puting a garden in there !
Give the kids and even grown ups something to do in bournemouth when its wet or dark ?
A eden garden , cant wait for that!
Perhaps visiting the Eden PROJECT would open your eyes - until i went there i thought it was just a hippy colony in a gravel pit, actually its stunning, most of it undercover and a very clever concept and whats more extremely popular with all ages - can anyone else who has been there please comment

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john in poole says...
9:32am Thu 5 Apr 12

stupid idea about ghost racing
stag parties are bad enough

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john in poole says...
9:34am Thu 5 Apr 12

sorry mike i meant goats not goosts

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