So Sir Tom - a 'major investor' is hardly an impartial voice.
Why are we subjected to his biased nonsense?

Sir Tom Farmer is talking sense.

Of course we would like to see an arts venue but there's NO MONEY in it.

If you personally had a few million quid would you spend it on The Odeon ? Assuming you also had some business acumen ?

How can Tom Farmer say his firm has the interests of the building at heart?

It's a property development firm, not a charity - meaning that the only thing they have at heart is the bottom line - dosh.

Sir Tommy aint doing this for any good reason,Its dosh,And to add Shir Shawns name is crap.

But the Kwik-Fit founder, who is a major investor in the property firm, has dismissed calls for further talks with the consortium.
He said: "If anyone is serious about making an offer to buy the building, let them make it, but that simply hasn't happened yet."

Quick fit and has not happened so what is the shouting about WAR?????

Disgrace. I blame the council, though, not TF, not that I hold any torch for him. Planning should permit it to become a venue, with proper soundproofing. The new plan guts that lovely interior. A little imagination required here, that's all.

Ted - how silly are you ? Do you think money grows on trees ?

Where is the business plan for a venue ? Where is the money going to come from ?

Why is Farmer being given such a one-sided platform to pitch his plans to make yet more millions at our expense?

Maybe the building and the adjacent square could be bought by the council and redeveloped into a tram depot.

Sorry, what was that. No trams in the area. What difference does that make to Edinburgh Council.

yet another housing development, soon there will be nothing left in the city apart from housing.

Glasgow seems to manage innovative art spaces, The arches, CCA, carling academy, ABC to name a few. The Odeon would have made a great festival venue as it did on a couple of occasions and a great venue outwith the festival.

The city needs more vibrant spaces to make this the great city its meant to be. Most of edinburghs museums are funded by the scottish purse whereas the weeg manages to run a number of fantastic museums and venues from its own purse.

I wish that the gilded balloon could have taken the odeon over. Not everything has to make money, some things just are there because they improve a city and require council funding.

As Sally and Randan says this article is totally biased, with the consortium's side relagated to a sentence at the end. The group obviously has experience in this area, and must have come up with a realistic plan to put in an offer. It's only because Duddingston want to make a ridiculous profit on a building they've left to decline for years that they wouldn't accept it.

What a shame about the Odeon. I remember going to see some good concerts here. Deep Purple, Blondie, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Thin Lizzy being some.
Keep on rocking.

cm , very good point, excuse my earlier rant.

Guilded Balloon for Odeon wouldve been good.

The one thing Edinburgh is really short of is venues. We're suppposed to be the "Festival City" and there are fewer and fewer places to put on shows since the cowgate fire. Now the Venue has gone and planners have their hearts set on getting Studio 24 what are performers supposed to do?
It was an amazing venue during the festival, now I never went in there myself but it was always very busy and attracted people to another part of town.
It's all very well buidling houses but when there are no shops, venues, pubs and gigs to go to....what's the point?

You can see a tour of the building here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev68Mk47bbo

(3 parts)

I think we should start a campaign to raise enough money to turn it back into a cinema/multi purpose arts venue. It could be used during the day by Ed Uni as extra lecture theatre space and then at night become a vibrant venue with bar/restaurant/cinema/comedy. I really think it coudl work if people gave it consideration.

#16 that is a good idea

#18 - JayDeeTee -"And we could have a wee section in the foyer to show off his favourite football team's silverware. A shelf would do."

Good idea. And it would just need to be a wee shelf to display their wee cup.

An Arts centre for F**k sake what a waste what percentage o the population gives a monkeys aboot art.

Duddingston Properties bought the Odeon for £1.5m. They have been offered £2.75m by the consortium and have refused because they want even more money for it. This is property speculation of the worst kind.

Does Brian Ferguson need a new exhaust?

At the end of the day, tom farmer can and will do what he want to do with the building, after all he does own it.

Would all you moaning minnies give up your home to turn it into a museum or some other non profit organiastion,, doubt it ,, go on tom its your , do as you see fit...