Fresh bid to build £25m hotel on Ironworks site in Inverness
A fresh bid is being launched to demolish the Ironworks music venue in Inverness and build a £25million hotel.
Bricks Hotels has now appointed a new design team in the hope of lodging a fresh application by this summer.
The controversial proposals for the seven-storey hotel on Academy Street were turned down in December.
It followed concerns that the scale and design of the proposed 162-room Courtyard by Marriott Hotel would have a significant adverse impact on the surrounding riverside conservation area.
CRPG Architects in Inverness will come up with a design to lower the height of the project and step the building back from the street.
Allan Davidson from Inverness is the chief operating officer of Bricks Hotels.
He said: "We are placing a new emphasis on giving the building a degree of civic presence by setting it further back from the street and implementing new design elements which soften the building’s exterior.
"Our approach is to take on board, in a positive manner, issues raised in relation to our previous application.
"We have appointed a new, local firm CRPG Architects, led by project director Bryan McFadzean, who are well versed in designing historically sensitive projects in the city centre.
"Mr McFadzean's fresh pair of eyes will be an asset and he is tasked with delivering a design that is sustainable and successful to bring inward investment, jobs and visitors to the city – as well as playing its part in the council’s aim to revitalise Academy Street."
CRPG designed the Hampton by Hilton hotel which received planning approval in Rose Street.
The firm was also responsible for the restoration of the A-listed M & Co retail outlet in Academy Street, in tandem with Historic Environment Scotland.
Mr McFadzean said: "The timetable is fairly challenging for the Bricks Hotels development as we're only at an early stage of the design journey but we're already making significant progress.
"Our team attended a meeting last week of the Highland Council's design review panel to outline initial ideas and gain an enhanced idea of what they will and will not support.
"The feedback from that has proved extremely worthwhile and given us a basis to move on to the next design phase.
"The new building design will include a series of stepped roof levels and will be layered from front to rear, addressing the multi-edged constraints of the site location.
"The design will work hard to remove the ‘big block’ appearance.
"The overall building height will be reduced to address the previous monolithic approach which attracted criticism.
"Bricks Hotels are keen to learn from the experience of the previous application and I'm happy to be at the centre of their efforts."
"We’ll be arranging a public consultation virtual event as soon as is practicable."
