A bold new vision to bring vital part of Inverness city centre back to life
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REDEVELOPMENT of a long empty building in the heart of Inverness city centre will form the centrepiece of the wider area.
It is part of an ambitious plan, previously unveiled by Highland Council, for the Union Street and Baron Taylor’s Street area and negotiations are at an advanced stage for the former Arnott building.
Allan Maguire, the council’s head of development and regeneration, said there was planning permission for 53 affordable flats on the three upper storeys with new retail units on the ground floor.
He said: “We are very, very close to negotiating a deal to bring that to fruition. We are hoping that will be the catalyst for the whole regeneration of Baron Taylor’s Street. The majority of Arnott’s building has certainly been lying empty for close to 20 years.”
The partnership would see the council funding the residential side of the project with the developer responsible for the shop units – roughly 75 per cent from the council and 25 per cent from the private sector.
Mr Maguire said they worked closely with the UK and Scottish Governments to gain additional cash for such projects from funding pots such as the City Region Deal and the Scottish Government Housing Grant.
He said it would be the start of revitalising that part of the city centre and added: “It will substantially lift it. It would be creating new retail units along that street as well and create new frontage.”
And it is also hoped that the regeneration will create more confidence and enable new investment in the city centre with new businesses moving into the area.
Mr Maguire said: “I look at Glasgow city centre and that has substantially changed. People will invest in that area.”
The B-listed Arnotts store was also previously a House of Fraser.
