New harbour building due to open
OBAN’S new maritime centre, which is due to open this month, has been named Oban North Pier Harbour Building.
The £1.6 million visitor centre complements the North Pier pontoons, which opened last summer, catering for cruise passengers, kayakers, sailors and sealife day trippers.
The new building, attached to the category B-listed Columba Hotel, has public toilets and showers, secure lockers, waiting areas for cruise ship passengers and coach parties, waterfront office space and the council’s harbour master’s office. It sits on the site of the former White Building charity shop.
‘I would anticipate the opening of the new building this month,’ Oban CHORD project manager Kirsteen Macdonald told councillors at the Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee last Wednesday.
‘The building is due to finish this week. This is the final sign-off. We do not anticipate any problems. TSL have been outstanding contractors.’
The officer’s report explained how the project had developed: ‘The proposals for the centre, approved by Argyll and Bute Council on August 20 2014, had been altered due to objections by an adjacent business and concerns over affordability. The ‘gathering place’ design was altered to a more functional and compact wedge shape, which sits within the site boundary of the former White Building. The facility now includes: dedicated showers, toilets, changing areas and secure lockers for maritime visitors. Additionally, there are four office spaces, two on the mezzanine floor and two on the ground level, including a harbour master’s office, an office for the transit berthing facility operator and two additional commercial spaces, one already let and one room available for hourly rentals for meetings and presentations.’
Councillor Roddy McCuish said: ‘We had lots of discussion with our neighbours regarding the access. I am delighted to see there is even more access down there.’
The report added: ‘The open plan area within the foyer will be able to cater for small events and the building will be fully accessible. The foyer on the ground floor may be rented for occasional event space and there will be the opportunity to rent the space outside the building for markets and pierside events.’
Councillors heard the North Pier Harbour Building name was selected to stay in keeping with the North Pier pontoons. ‘It is now necessary to name the building to enable the creation of a business address for the tenants and users,’ the report continued. The name was selected for ‘simplicity and functionality’ and ‘future proofing in the event of any future change in the management of the bay’.
The North Pier projects’ 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 at the North Pier pontoons welcomed 472 boats and 1,930 people - excluding cruise passengers - in August and 225 boats and 4,709 visitors in September.