Plans for a significant overhaul of Dumbarton’s Artizan Centre are gathering tempo with councillors requested to conform to its partial demolition.
Final yr, West Dunbartonshire Council agreed to a £1.7million deal to purchase the buying centre to breathe new life into the city’s Excessive Avenue.
It’s all a part of bold £20m plans for the city centre, funded by the UK Authorities’s Levelling Up Fund.
A proportion of the £5.375m accessible within the Artizan finances can be spent on the primary part of works.
Officers are actually urging councillors to log out on the primary part of short-term enhancements, which could be delivered throughout the subsequent 12 to fifteen months.
They are saying these will set the route of journey for long-term redevelopment, whereas addressing “pressing and precedence necessities”.
They embrace the demolition of the rear items, property enhancements and the design and supply of non permanent and everlasting landscaping, together with extending the Connecting Dumbarton initiative to hyperlink the railway with the river.
The council say tenants at present occupying the positioning to be developed can be required to be relocated.
There's additionally anticipated to be a concentrate on connecting the Denny Civic Theatre and Harmony Group Centre with the positioning.
Councillors will focus on the proposals at an infrastructure regeneration and financial growth committee assembly tomorrow (Tuesday).
A report states: “An necessary consideration is that disruption and influence on present tenants is minimised.
“The early demolition works will concentrate on the world of the Artizan to the rear and west block with the best variety of vacant items and act as a catalyst for future enhancements.
“New everlasting and non permanent landscaping can be delivered throughout the web site to enhance the setting for the customers.
“This might embrace public greenspace on newly-vacant land, public realm enhancements, non permanent or everlasting reference to Denny Theatre and a cycle route connecting the railway and the River Leven, alongside the Railway to Rock connectivity backbone.
“In the meantime makes use of could be launched to animate and convey extra exercise to the city centre and make the perfect use of vacant land. Proposed in the meantime makes use of may embrace the introduction of short-term neighborhood makes use of and pop-up outlets to vacant items (if accessible) or out of doors neighborhood or industrial occasions.”
In the long run, the council say additional research will decide the feasibility of a doable future new growth, housing and different new makes use of.
The preliminary plans have been formed following numerous public consultations which happened earlier this yr and the appointment of a staff of consultants who've been finishing up a feasibility research and growth technique for the positioning.
Their work is ongoing and can be used to tell later phases of the plans.
The report states that the consultants have recognized numerous alternatives and challenges, together with retaining current retailers which herald footfall, decreasing the variety of retail items, introducing new inexperienced areas, new housing and making a growth which can improve the city.
Chiefs say public opinion gathered as a part of the consultations will form the plans.
It reads: “Group opinion clearly highlighted the significance of placing the center again within the city centre and having a clear welcoming setting.
“Want for vibrant outlets, enhanced meals and beverage supply, high quality public and inexperienced areas and want for enhancements to the constructed setting featured regularly within the feedback, which knowledgeable the progress to this point and can form the long-term growth technique.
“A high-quality redevelopment of this huge and distinguished web site could be transformational for your complete city centre and, by extension, for the entire of Dumbarton. It has the potential to create a energetic, welcoming public area for the neighborhood within the coronary heart of the city centre, appropriate the financial blight attributable to long run vacancies and disrepair, and entice footfall and spend from each locals and
guests.”