Multimillion-pound plans for a new student quarter in the Highland capital will provide hundreds of new flats and generate scores of jobs.
The massive development was hailed last night as the perfect way of breathing fresh life into the city centre as it gets ready to welcome thousands of scholars to the new university campus at Beechwood.
Inverness Properties’ £24million vision for Rose Street will be one of the biggest transformations in the city since the Eastgate shopping centre.
If approved, building work could start within five months and the first phase could be open by July next year – coinciding with the opening of the new Inverness College at the campus.
Up to 300 jobs will be created during construction, with additional jobs in the cafe and retail premises in the longer term.
New drawings of the proposals were revealed publicly for the first time, as planning officials launched a “task force” to co-ordinate the regeneration of Inverness city centre.
Their top priorities include finding a major visitor attraction, the long-sought revamp of Academy Street and better pedestrian links between the railway and bus stations.
Academy Street has come under increasing focus recently after news that two major buildings in the neglected area had been sold to local businesses.
The Cairngorm Brewery bought the former AI Welders foundry and now plans to preserve the heritage of the B-listed premises while redeveloping it as a continental-style bar and offices.
And The Phoenix pub has been bought by local businessman George Maclean, who owns the Castle Tavern. He is now in the process of refurbishing the Academy Street venue.
The nearby student quarter promises to add to the sense of vitality returning to the area.
In total, four large multi-storey blocks will contain a total of 379 bedrooms.
One six-storey block with 105 bedrooms was granted consent more than a year ago and councillors will decide on Tuesday whether to approve proposals for the remaining three blocks – the largest of which will be eight storeys high.
There will also be space for shops, bars or restaurants on the ground floor, and a new public square with pedestrian links to Farraline Bus Station and Academy Street.
The student flats have, however, attracted some opposition, particularly because of the massive scale of the buildings proposed and loss of parking space.
A well-used car park with 195 spaces will be demolished to make way for the apartment blocks, along with the historic Rose Street Hall.
But the plans were broadly welcomed by community leaders.
Charlie Barbour, Inverness Properties’ development manager, said: “This will be a much-needed boost for Inverness. It will bring people into the centre and give it more life and vibrancy. It will also create jobs.”
Stewart Nicol, chief executive of Inverness Chamber of Commerce, said: “This would be an excellent and very positive development for the city of Inverness, bringing a significant number of skilled jobs during construction and much-needed investment into a key part of the city centre.
“In addition to creating the very positive environment that many have been calling for in the heart of the city, it ‘hardwires’ the city centre to the transformational Beechwood Campus development. As well as creating student accommodation in the city centre, it will provide a much-needed boost to the full range of retail activity in the centre of Inverness.”
John West, chairman of Inverness Civic Trust, said that his group worked with Inverness Properties’ agent to modify the designs. He still has concerns over the height of the buildings.