President Trump ' Wrong' To Call London Embassy Area An 'Off Location ' Residents Say : Parallels : NPR
President Trump 'Wrong' To Call London Embassy Area An 'Off Location ' Residents Say
When  President Trump  announced Thursday that  he  was canceling  his  visit to the United Kingdom next month to open the new U.S. Embassy in London   he  sounded less like the leader of the world's most powerful country and more like the real estate developer  he  once was.
On Twitter   he  complained that the Obama administration (it was actually George W. Bush's) had traded an embassy located in one of the British capital's top districts  Mayfair  for a new one in "an off location for 1.2 billion dollars. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO! "
Trump  was referring to the London borough of Wandsworth  south of the River Thames  which is now home to a massive development known as Nine Elms. Once a logistical hub for distributing fruit and vegetables  among other things  Nine Elms today is dotted with cranes and includes multimillion-dollar waterfront apartments.
"I thought he got it wrong " said Ravi Govindia  leader of the Wandsworth Council  referring to  Trump 's implicit criticism of the area.
That may not be the only thing  Trump  got wrong. The embassy  in fact  cost about $1 billion  according to U.S. government officials.
"As a real estate person ... I think [President Trump] would see that there is always an opportunity in regenerating and redeveloping a site " said Govindia. "It may not look great to start with  but it is what you do with it that makes it great and that's where the opportunities and profit are."
Behnejad says people in the neighborhood weren't offended by  Trump 's comments.
Jonathan Scobie  a real estate agent who sells property at Embassy Gardens  an apartment complex near the embassy  was excited for  Trump 's planned visit. He is also a big fan of the president and his blunt style.
Scobie doesn't agree with  Trump 's characterization of Nine Elms  but he says the attention generated by his tweet won't hurt.
President Trump 'Wrong' To Call London Embassy Area An 'Off Location ' Residents Say
When   [TGT] announced Thursday that   [TGT]   was canceling   [TGT]   visit to the United Kingdom next month to open the new U.S. Embassy in London    [TGT]   sounded less like the leader of the world's most powerful country and more like the real estate developer   [TGT]   once was.
On Twitter    [TGT]   complained that the Obama administration (it was actually George W. Bush's) had traded an embassy located in one of the British capital's top districts  Mayfair  for a new one in "an off location for 1.2 billion dollars. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!  [TGT] 
was referring to the London borough of Wandsworth  south of the River Thames  which is now home to a massive development known as Nine Elms. Once a logistical hub for distributing fruit and vegetables  among other things  Nine Elms today is dotted with cranes and includes multimillion-dollar waterfront apartments.
"I thought he got it wrong " said Ravi Govindia  leader of the Wandsworth Council  referring to   [TGT]  's implicit criticism of the area.
That may not be the only thing   [TGT] got wrong. The embassy  in fact  cost about $1 billion  according to U.S. government officials.
"As a real estate person ... I think  [TGT]  would see that there is always an opportunity in regenerating and redeveloping a site " said Govindia. "It may not look great to start with  but it is what you do with it that makes it great and that's where the opportunities and profit are."
Behnejad says people in the neighborhood weren't offended by   [TGT]  's comments.
Jonathan Scobie  a real estate agent who sells property at Embassy Gardens  an apartment complex near the embassy  was excited for  Trump 's planned visit. He is also a big fan of the president and his blunt style.
Scobie doesn't agree with   [TGT]  's characterization of Nine Elms  but he says the attention generated by his tweet won't hurt.