A historic landmark building in Peterhead is looking for a new operator as the library and museum prepare to move to its new home.
The building is about to undergo a major refit to be turned into a venue that can host live music and arts and culture events.
The Carnegie Building was built in the heart of the coastal town in the 1890s and is associated with business mogul Andrew Carnegie.
It spans four floors, covering more than 8,600 square feet of interior space and is the home of the Public Library and Arbuthnot Museum.
However, as part of the new Cultural Quarter in Peterhead, the library and museum will move to the newly refurbished and extended Arbuthnot House.
Once the Carnegie Building is empty, it will undergo a major conservation-restoration, supported by the UK Housing Department.
Aberdeenshire Council confirmed the process of putting museum artefacts into temporary storage had begun.
The plan is to move library services into a temporary space by January 2025, with the Carnegie Building’s restoration beginning around that time.
When complete it will then be used as a new venue for cultural entrepreneurs, creative third sector organisations or social enterprises to find an inspiring place to deliver their creative vision.
Carnegie Building could be ‘perfect showcase for emerging talent’
The building is a local landmark within the coastal town, known for its standout feature, the clock tower.
Restoration plans include the potential for wide-ranging usage from a dance studio to a performance venue to a community cafe.
Therefore, Aberdeenshire Council is looking for someone with vision to take the reigns of this landmark.
Buchan Area Manager Amanda Roe described the venture as an “exciting opportunity” to create a new standout facility.
She said: “It will be a tremendous venue for live music and other live performances and from an educational aspect it will also accommodate dance and music schools or visual arts and design.
“The new facility will also provide the perfect showcase for emerging talent and the contemporary arts, designed to meet the cultural needs of a younger generation and increase the appeal of retaining young people in the area.
“We are really keen to see any approaches, which support local businesses and increase employment and which strengthen the night-time and town centre footfall with an enhanced cultural offer.”
Conversation