North Pier centre to open at last
OBAN’S delayed new Maritime Visitor Centre should be finished early in the new year, after a total redesign and four years in the pipeline.
The £1.6 million building on the town’s North Pier is designed to complement the new pontoons, which opened in the summer, catering for marine tourists from cruise passengers to kayakers, yachters, and sealife day trippers.
The expectation is to increase visitor numbers with an estimated benefit of around £20 million to the area over the next 25 years. The 36 new finger berths have already welcomed 472 boats and 1,930 visitors (excluding cruise passengers) in August, and 225 boats and 4,709 visitors in September.
The new visitor facility, attached to the category B-listed Columba Hotel, will provide public toilets and showers, secure lockers, waiting areas for cruise ship passengers and coach parties, waterfront office space, and the council’s harbour master office.
The Maritime Visitor Centre sits on the site of the former White Building, built in 1902 as the Steam Packet ticket office, and most recently used as a charity shop.
It has been in development since 2013, with Argyll and Bute Council granting planning permission to the architects’ designs in August 2014, and signing off the £1.6 million budget allocation in the November.
A council spokesperson said: ‘The maritime facilities building is substantially complete. Additional work is being undertaken to the commercial unit and we are evaluating a number of offers to operate it. The contract has been extended to complete the North Pier public realm work as soon as possible.
‘No work will take place over Christmas to ensure there is no disruption during this important business and trading period. We look forward to the opening of the facility early in 2018.’