Efforts to revitalise Grant Lodge as a new food, drink and heritage attraction in Elgin are poised to take a step forward.
Moray Council is now looking for a design team to spearhead plans to open the doors of the treasured 18th century Cooper Park landmark.
The project is part of what the local authority has dubbed as a new “cultural quarter” in the town, backed by funding from the Scottish and UK governments.
Elgin Town Hall and the wider Cooper Park area are also included in the ambitious £31 million vision for the area.
It’s a complicated project, with various items at different stages of development. Here’s where everything stands in the design process.
Grant Lodge design team search begins
Moray Council wants to appoint a design team to develop plans to reopen Grant Lodge, which has been boarded up since a fire at the Elgin landmark in 2003.
It was formerly a library but is intended to be a visitor attraction celebrating the region’s food, drink and heritage.
The local authority wants a team to begin work in April to draw up “creative solutions” to restore the building as a “must visit” destination.
Initial concept drawings show the venue having a restaurant, cafe or bar.
Marc Macrae, chairman of Moray Council’s economic development and infrastructure services committee, is expecting a “clamour of innovative bids” for the Grant Lodge design project in Elgin.
He said: “Grant Lodge has been on the ‘buildings at risk’ register for a number of years now and I know there is a keen appetite for it to be brought back into use.
“We needed to make sure that was done in a sustainable way and I believe this project is going to be the perfect way for Grant Lodge to be enjoyed for many generations to come by locals and visitors alike.”
It is hoped the attraction will be open in 2025.
Elgin Town Hall plans already being developed
A design team has already been appointed to overhaul Elgin Town Hall as part of the cultural quarter.
LDN Architects, which has offices in Inverness and Edinburgh, was chosen to lead the project after 23 notes of interest were submitted.
Elgin Town Hall is the largest performance venue of its kind in Moray with a capacity of up to 600 people.
However, it is understood the layout and design of the B-listed building has put off some touring shows from dates in the area.
LDN Architects have been tasked with drawing up plans that make the building easier to navigate when busy, acoustic separation between the main hall and the rest of the building, creating a new multi-use studio and improving the technical and customer facilities.
The building remains owned by the council but is now managed by a community-run organisation with more than 80,000 people visiting a year.
It is hoped the refurbished Town Hall will be open in 2025.
What’s happening in the rest of Cooper Park?
The cultural quarter project aims to create reasons for people to want to visit Cooper Park and spend more time there.
Facilitating a site for a privately-funded four or five-star hotel is also being explored with the Lossie Green car park earmarked as a potential location among others.
Improvements to the Cooper Park area have also been included in the Elgin City Centre Masterplan, which is being considered as part of other UK Government funding.
An outdoor performance venue, making the pond attractive for water sports, extra play facilities and a new sports pavilion are among the proposals still under consideration.
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