INDIAN CITY OASIS SEEKS WINE-LOVING RESIDENTS
BENGALARU is becoming one of the most important global centres for technology and India’s most developed city. So the IT capital formerly known as Bangalore was the obvious choice for the latest multimillion-pound scheme from Vinay Kapoor, the president and chief executive of Westcourt UK, who contributed to the design and development of the World Financial Centre and Canary Wharf.
Developed by Westcourt and designed by Studio u+a, the firm founded by Kapoor and his wife Shirley Fujikawa, the CityView project is a complex of three towers. One to house a limited number of one- and two-bedroom Four Seasons private residences above a 230-room Four Seasons hotel; one containing three- and four-bedroom private residences; and one for corporate offices with a “boutique retail development”.
And all set within 6.5 acres of tranquil gardens designed by Bangkok landscape architects P Landscape. Sounds ideal – so expect a rush of international buyers for “Bengalaru’s premier address” when the evelopment opens in late 2013.
Particularly those globetrotters who like a drink – as the brochure reassures thirsty potential tenants: “Personal dual-temperature chillers will be available to maintain private stocks of wine under perfect conditions.” It’s the details that count.
THE THIRD MAN
YOU WON’T catch Baron Browne of Madingley taking the tube – not if The Capitalist’s sighting of the former BP chief executive parking outside his new Riverstone Capital offices at 3, Burlington Gardens yesterday is a daily occurrence.
Although to be more accurate, the Sun King wasn’t parking as he turned up for work at the leisurely hour of 9.40am; he was being dropped off in a midnight blue, chauffeur-driven Bentley with the personalised numberplate “CCC 333”.
The third letter of the alphabet followed by the number three… and both in triplicate. Whatever can it all mean?
MAKING RENT
THANKS to a sharp-eyed City A.M. reader, up with the lark for his regular game of squash at the RAC Club, who reports on the lengths the Candy brothers are going to keep the extravagantly wealthy tenants of One Hyde Park happy. Pitch up outside the £1bn development at about 6am, reports the early-bird mole, and a pavement-washing machine will be hard at work scrubbing the vicinity of the building until Nick and Christian can see their faces in it.
It seems when your lodgers include the likes of the Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, the sterling maintenance efforts of Westminster Council are just not enough…
THE RYAN GIGGS EFFECT
NEVER a dull moment at Paddy Power – even the bookmaker’s interim results are entertaining. Until May, the sporting results were on track to deliver “an overall group sportsbook gross win percentage”, said chairman Nigel Northridge.
But then the firm decided to “liven things up” by offering to refund losing bets on the UEFA Champions League final if the favourites Barcelona beat Manchester United, promoted by a photoshoot starring Imogen Thomas of Ryan Giggs super-injunction fame.
“The fact she looked particularly fetching in tight 80s-style football shorts helped no end,” wrote Northridge, who consoled himself after the resulting Euros 3m payout that left the sportsbook profits in tatters with the thought that “we went for it”.
“Such short-term ups and downs are an intrinsic part of bookmaking,” he reassured shareholders.
THE FAMOUS FIFTY
FORGET Enid Blyton’s Famous Five – these days, the world of children’s books is all about “The Famous Fifty” – an invention of GFT Global Markets director and father of-two Martin Slaney, worried by the trend of children reading less and less.
Martin Slaney, a City A.M. columnist, has come up with the idea to write a “crowdsourced” children’s book, like a literary version of Consequences. So far, he has asked 50 bestselling authors to each contribute one chapter, with the aim of creating a “fundraising classic” of a short story adventure, with all profits donated to the Children’s Literacy Trust.
Slaney told City A.M: “I see the chances of pulling this off as low, but the rewards if we do will be immense – somewhat akin to buying a deep out of the money option.”
GAME CHANGER
INSURANCE and Premiership rugby: natural bedfellows, thought Elite Insurance chief executive Jason Smart, as he signed off a one-year deal for his company to become the shirt sponsor of Aviva Premiership champions Saracens.
Smart said at a recent Saracens versus Connacht pre-season game: “Saracens are at the top of their game and we are delighted to be associated with their continuing success.”