JBR Completion Date
Sep 30th 2007, 4:36 pm
#31
Gold-Helmeted Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Setubal-ish
Posts: 688
Re: JBR Completion Date
The problem with JBR is not going to be the interchanges with SZR however big those will be (and with 200,000 people in the whole marina area and then the Palm traffic, SZR is going to be a total carpark), the problem is getting to your actual building when the roads within JBR are single lanes. It's really not a question of there being roadworks, there just simple are not enough roads. You really need to get in the car and drive around there to realise how bad it is.
A friend pointed out to me that London docklands has a lot of smaller roads and manages. But take out the DLR and the underground and then think how bad it would be....
Sep 30th 2007, 4:39 pm
#32
Gold-Helmeted Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Setubal-ish
Posts: 688
Re: JBR Completion Date
I predict JBR becomes the road rage capital of Dubai.
Sep 30th 2007, 6:58 pm
#33
Soupy twist
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,271
Re: JBR Completion Date
It's painfully obvious that that piddly little divided highway that runs past the backs of the JBR towers - and on which all the JBR car park entrances and exits are located - isn't going to be able to cope once the towers are even half-full. Even the RTA admits this.
So yes, once you reach the interchanges you'll probably start moving much faster... it's actually *getting* to the interchanges that's going to be the challenge.
BTW BR, what's your take on the fact that rents in JBR seem to be falling by the week, if not by the day? 3-bed with maid's room now down to 130K (was 135K, down from 175K).
Sep 30th 2007, 7:00 pm
#34
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,434
Re: JBR Completion Date
But as we have tried to explain to you before, BR, the best interchanges in the world aren't going to ease traffic flow within the JBR area itself. The roads that currently exist between the towers are all that there'll ever be, there's no space for anything else (unless, as captainflack suggests, they try to build elevated roads over the top of the existing ones... but there's no room for the ramps). They new interchanges will just make it quicker and faster to get stuck in the JBR traffic jams
It's painfully obvious that that piddly little divided highway that runs past the backs of the JBR towers - and on which all the JBR car park entrances and exits are located - isn't going to be able to cope once the towers are even half-full. Even the RTA admits this.
So yes, once you reach the interchanges you'll probably start moving much faster... it's actually *getting* to the interchanges that's going to be the challenge.
BTW BR, what's your take on the fact that rents in JBR seem to be falling by the week, if not by the day? 3-bed with maid's room now down to 130K (was 135K, down from 175K).
It's painfully obvious that that piddly little divided highway that runs past the backs of the JBR towers - and on which all the JBR car park entrances and exits are located - isn't going to be able to cope once the towers are even half-full. Even the RTA admits this.
So yes, once you reach the interchanges you'll probably start moving much faster... it's actually *getting* to the interchanges that's going to be the challenge.
BTW BR, what's your take on the fact that rents in JBR seem to be falling by the week, if not by the day? 3-bed with maid's room now down to 130K (was 135K, down from 175K).
Sep 30th 2007, 7:02 pm
#35
Banned
Joined: May 2007
Location: Dubai
Posts: 554
Re: JBR Completion Date
But as we have tried to explain to you before, BR, the best interchanges in the world aren't going to ease traffic flow within the JBR area itself. The roads that currently exist between the towers are all that there'll ever be, there's no space for anything else (unless, as captainflack suggests, they try to build elevated roads over the top of the existing ones... but there's no room for the ramps). They new interchanges will just make it quicker and faster to get stuck in the JBR traffic jams
It's painfully obvious that that piddly little divided highway that runs past the backs of the JBR towers - and on which all the JBR car park entrances and exits are located - isn't going to be able to cope once the towers are even half-full. Even the RTA admits this.
So yes, once you reach the interchanges you'll probably start moving much faster... it's actually *getting* to the interchanges that's going to be the challenge.
BTW BR, what's your take on the fact that rents in JBR seem to be falling by the week, if not by the day? 3-bed with maid's room now down to 130K (was 135K, down from 175K).
It's painfully obvious that that piddly little divided highway that runs past the backs of the JBR towers - and on which all the JBR car park entrances and exits are located - isn't going to be able to cope once the towers are even half-full. Even the RTA admits this.
So yes, once you reach the interchanges you'll probably start moving much faster... it's actually *getting* to the interchanges that's going to be the challenge.
BTW BR, what's your take on the fact that rents in JBR seem to be falling by the week, if not by the day? 3-bed with maid's room now down to 130K (was 135K, down from 175K).
Do you have a contact number for this agent?
Sep 30th 2007, 7:04 pm
#36
Soupy twist
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,271
Re: JBR Completion Date
Kind of similar to the rather transparent tactics being employed by Emaar over lots of apartments in the Burj Dubai area; you now can't sell them until you own at least 30%. So if you bought on one of the 3% deposit deals, you've got a long wait until you will be given permission to sell your place... unless you get a loan to pay up the 30%, of course.
Dubai : Redefining "Freehold"
And that's just reminded me that we know some people who bought at South Ridge (the original 3% downpayment job at Burj Dubai) who are now being hit with all kinds of hidden fees, on the order of 40,000 dhs. They've just got to find it from somewhere. Apparently you have to pay your service charge in a single payment a year in advance, too - that's another 40K.
Dubai : Redefining "Open, Transparent Marketplace"
Last edited by Eeyore; Sep 30th 2007 at 7:11 pm.
Sep 30th 2007, 7:19 pm
#39
Soupy twist
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,271
Re: JBR Completion Date
Our friends were told 180K by an agent, and then found the 130K one 
Sep 30th 2007, 7:22 pm
#40
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Dubai
Posts: 888
Re: JBR Completion Date
Agree with you about the road around JBR though. And personally I wouldn't want to live there, but "a friend told me" some people quite like it there.
Sep 30th 2007, 7:28 pm
#41
Soupy twist
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,271
Re: JBR Completion Date
But Border Reiver's being a bit coy and deliberately avoiding the question I asked, isn't Border Reiver?
So come on, you're the one who has said in the past that rents won't fall and, just a few days ago, that you couldn't see any evidence of rents falling at JBR. Well, they *are* falling, quite considerably, and they seem to affecting rents in parts of the Marina too. Why did *we* see this coming, but not you?
Sep 30th 2007, 7:52 pm
#42
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 4,990
Re: JBR Completion Date
I drove around the Palm and then along to JBR yesterday evening, ending up on the beach near the hilton for an hour or two around sunset.
It is late september and two things about JBR are quite impossible to miss:
1. It is quite, quite empty. Judging by the number of lights on, around 5% of the buildings that were handed over are occupied (i.e. about 2-3% of the lights are on). Even assuming a lot of people away, the best case scenario is 10% occupied. And this is in a city with a supposed property shortage. In comparison, the nearby hotels are lit up like christmas trees, clearly full to the rafters.
It rather suggests that JBR is held not by owner-occupiers, but by speculators and BTLers, neither of whom appear to be having much luck renting or selling the properties at the ridiculous prices they're trying to get. If these people think there is money to be made and that demand will catch up, they need to look around them. There are 150 other nearby towers going up, most of which look much nicer than the East Berlin inspired JBR. If they cannot get these places occupied now, what chance next year when some of the nice towers are ready?
2. The traffic and roads system around the marina, and JBR in particular, is spectacular in its inadequacy. The towers are 95% empty and it's ramadan, and yet at 6.00pm the roads are still tailing back. Add in rush hour and multiple the number of people by 20 and you have gridlock of record breaking proportions. The only solutions I can see:
- demolish some towers to create more space (unthinkable)
- multi level roads (hope your apartment on the 2nd floor has think curtains)
- tunnels (probably out of the question considering this is the marina and they would need to go really deep
- ban cars and have park-n-ride (are you mental? In Dubai?)
Either way, JBR looks to be an utter catastrophe of urban planning, the situation being mitigated only by the fact that hardly anyone is prepared to live there.
It is late september and two things about JBR are quite impossible to miss:
1. It is quite, quite empty. Judging by the number of lights on, around 5% of the buildings that were handed over are occupied (i.e. about 2-3% of the lights are on). Even assuming a lot of people away, the best case scenario is 10% occupied. And this is in a city with a supposed property shortage. In comparison, the nearby hotels are lit up like christmas trees, clearly full to the rafters.
It rather suggests that JBR is held not by owner-occupiers, but by speculators and BTLers, neither of whom appear to be having much luck renting or selling the properties at the ridiculous prices they're trying to get. If these people think there is money to be made and that demand will catch up, they need to look around them. There are 150 other nearby towers going up, most of which look much nicer than the East Berlin inspired JBR. If they cannot get these places occupied now, what chance next year when some of the nice towers are ready?
2. The traffic and roads system around the marina, and JBR in particular, is spectacular in its inadequacy. The towers are 95% empty and it's ramadan, and yet at 6.00pm the roads are still tailing back. Add in rush hour and multiple the number of people by 20 and you have gridlock of record breaking proportions. The only solutions I can see:
- demolish some towers to create more space (unthinkable)
- multi level roads (hope your apartment on the 2nd floor has think curtains)
- tunnels (probably out of the question considering this is the marina and they would need to go really deep
- ban cars and have park-n-ride (are you mental? In Dubai?)
Either way, JBR looks to be an utter catastrophe of urban planning, the situation being mitigated only by the fact that hardly anyone is prepared to live there.
Sep 30th 2007, 8:29 pm
#43
Banned
Joined: May 2007
Location: Dubai
Posts: 554
Re: JBR Completion Date
Fair enuff.. but I get more calls for ppl wanting to rent in JBR than anywhere else.. business there is rife.. the empty apts are with owners who want to sell not rent, and there are a lot of buyers too.. a damn sight more than I ever expected. its ugly i agree.. but bloody popular.
Oct 1st 2007, 3:53 am
#44
Trust Your Instincts.....
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Dubai
Posts: 1,404
Re: JBR Completion Date
It depends on the view a 3+ with full sea views will still go for 180k it also depends on landlord and how desperate they are to rent out, if they bought of plan they would have only paid about 799k so can afford to drop rent and still make profit.
