CAFE OWNER BUYS OLD KIRK IN SIX-FIGURE DEAL
It’s a great place with beautiful grounds and we’d like to keep things the same
A GREENOCK businessman has stepped in to save an historic Greenock church following fears that it could fall out of community hands.
Marco Medinelli, owner of the Esplanade Cafe, has bought the Old West Kirk from the Church of Scotland in a deal believed to be in the region of around £150,000.
As he outlines his plans for it in today’s Tele, he hopes that the purchase will allay the concerns raised by local groups about the future of the building.
Mr Medinelli said: “People don’t need to worry, we’ll look after it.”
A GREENOCK businessman has stepped in to save an historic Greenock church following fears that it could fall out of community hands.
Marco Medinelli, owner of the Esplanade Cafe, has bought the Old West Kirk from the Church of Scotland in a deal believed to be in the region of around £150,000.
He hopes that the purchase will allay the concerns raised by local groups about the future of the church after the decision was made to sell it off.
Campaigners had mounted a last-ditch bid earlier this year to block the private sale.
The Old West Kirk was authorised by Royal Charter and was the first Presbyterian church built in Scotland following the Reformation.
It was moved brick by brick from its original waterfront site to the present one, reopening there in 1928.
Trustees from the Old West Kirk Trust, along with other interested groups, had called for the building’s unique character to be preserved at all costs after it was put on the market.
Mr Medinelli says he has agreed not to sell the church or apply for change of use consents for any purpose which might conflict with continued community use, as part of several additional conditions outlined in the sale.
He said: “We bought it to save it from being turned into a store or a carpet store or that sort of thing.
“It’s a historic building and we thought we’d like to preserve it the way it is.
“It’s a great place with beautiful grounds and we’d like to keep things the same.
“People don’t need to worry, we’ll look after it.
“It’s always going to be the Old West Kirk, we won’t turn it into a pub or a club, it’ll always be there the way it is now.”
The formal undertakings agreed as part of the sale also oblige Mr Medinelli to enter discussions with the Trust and other associated community groups.
They stipulate that the businessman must do his best to ensure the church building continues to be available to the people of Greenock for community purposes.
Mr Medinelli believes that the building can continue to play a role in the life of the local community while also producing income.
He added: “I’d like to keep it for the community although it does have to pay its way, it was a sizeable investment.
“I would like to rent it, possibly on a daily basis.
“If it’s rented to somebody then obviously they’ll get priority but I’d like the community to have a chance.
“For the next two years we won’t do anything drastic and we’ll consult with the trustees if we want to do anything.
“The church is going to stay as is — the halls are different, we’re going to look for tenants for the halls, inset, and are looking to rent them out long-term.
“We actually already have somebody interested which is good.
“We’ll play it by ear with the church, the church will always be here, it’s as safe as it can be now.
“It’ll always be the Old West Kirk.”