Scotland

Transforming Bridgegate House

Bridgegate House- Irvine- North Ayrshire

A £9.3 million project to refurbish Bridgegate House is currently underway.

The project, which is currently taking place in Irvine town centre, is being implemented by North Ayrshire Council. Work began on the project in June 2012 and comprises the introduction of a modern, user-friendly Customer Centre for Council Services in Irvine, the creation of open plan offices and the refurbishment of shop fronts, roller shutters and associated signage.

The Council’s new Customer Contact Centre – which will provide an effective one-stop shop for Council customers – is being constructed at the High Street entrance to Bridgegate House. Services, such as Housing, Social Work, Benefits and Trading Standards are expected to operate from the centre when it officially opens.

Once work is complete on Bridgegate House, the building will be a much cleaner, brighter, and more attractive development and will complement other town centre regeneration projects which are currently taking place in Irvine.

North Ayrshire Council is investing £8.5 million in the project, whilst Irvine Bay Regeneration Company is providing the additional £800,000 for all the external work on the site.

Councillor Marie Burns, a spokesperson for Economic Development and Regeneration, said:

“The Council has been working very hard, along with our partners at Irvine Bay, to plan the ambitious regeneration of Irvine Town Centre.

Bridgegate House- Irvine- North Ayrshire

“However, it is only now that the people of Irvine will begin to see these plans begin to take shape. The whole of the town centre will benefit from the much-needed modernisation of Bridgegate House and the streetscape over the next year or so.

“While there is inevitably some disruption, much of the planning has gone toward ensuring this is kept to a minimum. We believe the end result will be a positive one – one which gives local people increased pride in their town, while making it a more attractive destination for visitors and businesses looking to invest in the town.”

GRAHAM Construction is the main contractor on the Bridgegate House project and North Ayrshire Council is providing all architectural services.

GRAHAM Construction Contracts Director, Gary Holmes, said:

“The refurbishment of Bridgegate House is a major undertaking and one we are committing a significant manpower resource to.

“Bridgegate House occupies a prominent position in Irvine and local people can look forward to a much more visually appealing and eye-catching design once the project is completed, with a modern glass fascia replacing the existing 70s-style frontage.

“We will also work to radically improve the interior of the building. Once completed, we are confident the new Bridgedate House will prove to be a welcome and much-used community facility for the people of North Ayrshire.”

The Bridgegate House redevelopment project is just one part of a much larger, £30 million Irvine Town Centre project, sitting alongside the Bridgegate streetscape, new leisure centre and Trinity Church refurbishment schemes.

The initiative is a partnership led by North Ayreshire Council and supported by Irvine Bay Regeneration Company and is being undertaken to kick-start the local economy. Other partners in the initiative include Rivergate Shopping Centre (ING), Historic Scotland Trinity Trust and SportScotland.

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