North Stand to become Drugs Rehab Unit?

[TerracingTomas]

I heard this rumour several weeks ago but could find nothing to back it up but it turns out the rumour has substance.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scot ... g-24307485

So let’s consider this calmly. This could be like the Dome and nothing concrete ever materialises. As yet no sign of planning application.

From a purely financial point of view it has some attractions. The now empty North Stand is in danger of becoming a white elephant. The likelihood of a renter looking for all or most of the office space post coved is unlikely. Getting a tenant for part of the stand means presumably rental revenue. A drugs rehabilitation unit would presumably have charitable status. ( Blameless to run it?) and as a charity the space occupied would qualify for a 100% rate rebate. So the stadium company replaces some of its lost rental income and reduces the additional rates burden it has incurred while the stand lies empty. Oh and as a bonus the profits of Hope Cbd go through the roof.

Down sides - The chances of renting out the rest of the stand to commercial premises are nil. There is a possibility of losing tenants from the main stand. Would you send your child to the nursery in the main stand with a drugs rehab unit next door? And given Mcgowans track record would you really trust him to run such a unit professionally?

This has a long way to run but goes to show Ronnie and Les seem to have no control influence over their fellow owner.

[smc4761]

Looks more and more like the football club has become a pet project for McGowan, and he has no interest in running a football club.

As TT says, sure it may get some rental income but chances are it may frighten off other potential renters and perhaps scare off those already there

Sooner this clown is run out of town the better for the club. I fear we are heading back to the bad old days of the 90's

[TerracingTomas]

Had another read at the Record article. It’s the usual grandiose exaggeration that comes with Mcgowans’ press interviews. The concrete part appears to be a project in partnership with Blue Triangle who are a housing association for the vulnerable. It would involve turning the stand into a 40 bed hostel with a gym and training rooms. Once up and running Blue Triangle would manage the unit not Accies as far as I can see. A figure of £6 million is mentioned for I assume the whole project including 20 flats but there is no suggestion that Accies would put this money up. They haven’t got it. The article suggests the private sector will put up the costs to fit out the stand (Why?) and then the public sector will pay Blue Triangle to run it. Accies (I.e the stadium company) presumably get rental for the stand and don’t have to incur business rates. As for the 20 flats, years ago the club applied for planning permission to build 20 flats in the corner of the main stand car park. The idea was to sell some and keep the rest for players on loan or up from down south. Came to nought and I can see the same happening again. If Blue Triangle are in the driving seat given their track record the the stand conversion might happen. Meanwhile I’m still waiting on Foys to deliver the promised new media gantry and sports clinic that will employ over 20 individuals. All that on the back of a six figure sponsorship deal.You couldn’t make it up.Well actually you can!

[TerracingTomas]

Just in case you had forgotten about this I found this piece in the Blue Triangle charity annual report.

We also developed a national partnership with SMART Recovery UK, being the first social care organisation in the UK to do so, and we started to shape a unique Public Social Private Partnership (PSPP) approach with Scottish Football Clubs given their position as the Cathedrals of the People, the first being the design and development of a Recovery & Wellbeing Village with Hamilton Academical FC in South Lanarkshire. I am excited about the potential to partner with Football Clubs across Scotland, helping them to maximise their social impact in their local communities, making the Scottish Government’s Call to Action for Social Renewal a reality in highly innovative and impactful ways.

The same annual report also lists the charities’ Board members. Amongst new members whose photo and bio are still to be listed is one John Brown. Surely not the same John Brown who until recently was a director of the stadium company and remains a director of the football club!!

So assuming that Scottish Government funding is forthcoming and planning is granted it seems this may come to fruition in the next couple of years. Meanwhile the club is offloaded onto some compliant sap/frontman and Mcgoofeys’ stadium business plus profits from his share of Hope CBD will continue to fund his 6 figure liefestyle. He will happily claim that he has got out of the club while asset stripping the stadium and banning the ungrateful.

[porcupine]

Looks more and more like the football club has become a pet project for McGowan, and he has no interest in running a football club.
As TT says, sure it may get some rental income but chances are it may frighten off other potential renters and perhaps scare off those already there
I fear we are heading back to the bad old days of the 90's

Given the rhetoric from our First Minister about the drugs problem in Scotland, and particularly in the West of Scotland, Planning Permissions for such a development would seem not to be a problem.
However, whether we as fans, and local nurseries renting space, would be comfortable with any such actually happening is a totally different matter.
This appears to be a scheme (yes, another scheme) where they are desperate for cash flow of any description, to avoid the financial demise of the stadium company, after the loss of significant income from that stand.
More smoke and mirrors, and we will be none the wiser, of course.

[Top Cross]

Meanwhile I’m still waiting on Foys to deliver the promised new media gantry and sports clinic that will employ over 20 individuals. All that on the back of a six figure sponsorship deal.You couldn’t make it up.Well actually you can!

Foys like many of the other sponsors attracted by McGowan has a distinctly fishy whiff about it. A couple of lads who's previous money making schemes were no-win-no-fee services to get compensation for mis-sold Spanish mortgages pivoting in to stem cell therapies? Come on?! I'm pretty certain that the 6-figure sum bandied about was just the total value of the lease over a number of years and McGowan used the stadium naming rights as a sweetener to secure them as tennants. It's not like the naming rights were bringing in the big dough when it was McGowan's own wee venture in to the theraputic trade, Hope CBD, that was on the sign above the door previously. Having a look Foys last accounts filed with companies house (late and only after notice of a compulsory strike-off) there's bugger all money flowing through the company and a grand total of zero employees.

[porcupine]

Wish I hadn’t read your post, Top Cross! Thought it was only TT and I who trawled Companies House

Interesting to add to your findings that FOYS are technically insolvent according to their accounts by nearly £80K. There were doubts raised at the outset as to where from a six figure sponsorship deal to Accies was being funded from a new company. Yet another situation of smoke and mirrors.

What new investor of any financial credibility would wish to invest in Accies, under whatever company name that’s presently involved?
No surprise, if we file for administration in the next six months

[TerracingTomas]

If you look at the stable of companies that Foys are part of they are all dormant as was Foys until recently. Foys rent office space at NDP but in order to qualify for covid rates relief from the Scottish Government u require to be an active company. I’m sure that had nothing to do with Foys suddenly posting the accounts u refer to Porcupine.

[Stevie Clarke]

This might not be much of a contribution to this thread, but I've always wondered why McGowan's pet charity Blameless had never adorned our shirts. Other clubs have had charity sponsors like Hearts.

[TerracingTomas]

It’s plastered across the front of the ladies team shirts this season Stevie.

[porcupine]

If you look at the stable of companies that Foys are part of they are all dormant as was Foys until recently. Foys rent office space at NDP but in order to qualify for covid rates relief from the Scottish Government u require to be an active company. I’m sure that had nothing to do with Foys suddenly posting the accounts u refer to Porcupine.

HaHaHaHa!

Ever thought of starting a forensic accountancy firm for due diligence work,TT? We’ve now infected Top Cross with the ‘bug’ as well!

[TerracingTomas]

Planning permission now being sought which means Blue Triangle must have funding for the project.

https://news.stv.tv/west-central/applic ... ll-stadium

[TerracingTomas]

For them that’s interested the planning application reference is P/22/0699

Go to the SLC planning application portal. There are 3 objections so far but they don’t appear to be uploaded yet so no idea who has objected. Can’t imagine the local neighbours will be happy? I predict it will go through.

[Bengee]

Too near a primary school methinks.

[TerracingTomas]

Planning Committee met on Tuesday apparently. The planning officers’ report to the committee which is online recommends approval. There were only 4 objections none of them from people in the area and none of which were considered relevant so I assume the Committee approved the recommendation. So every penny Mcgoofey can get his hands on no doubt will be going to fund conversion work.

Update

Link to press story

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/in-your-a ... yE8VkHcrWg