First look at Ardrossan's multi-million pound hotel plans
6 June-
An artist's impression of what the complex will look like.
This is the look of a multi-million pound hotel planned for the Clyde Marina at Ardrossan.
The development, featuring an office block and a hotel, is part of an ambitious plan to attract jobs and investment to the Ayrshire town.
Planning permission has yet to be granted but already dozens of rival developers across the UK have shown an interest in the project.
There's also speculation a number of established hotel chains are interested.
The Irvine Bay Regeneration Company - tasked with breathing fresh life into the area - is confident of obtaining outline planning consent for a 40-bed hotel which will include a bar and a function suite for 100 people.
The new hotel will be built on a car park at the marina and will have views of the Firth of Clyde.
The site has come on the market a year after regeneration chiefs and property giants Peel Holdings, owners of Clydeport and the port at Ardrossan, agreed a £9 million, 10-year masterplan for the area.
The vision include extending Clyde Marina and redeveloping the neighbouring Shell-Mex oil refinery site which closed in the mid-80s.
The marina sits next to the busy Ardrossan Harbour, the terminal for the Arran ferry, which attracts some 700,000 passengers every year.
"This is quite simply one of the best trading locations for a hotel in the area," said Steven Fife at selling agents Jones Lang LaSalle. "Ayrshire's golf courses, including Turnberry, Gailes, Royal Troon, Prestwick, Barassie and Dundonald are also within easy reach.
"That is why this is such a unique opportunity in a unique setting to be part of Ardrossan's maritime history."
The hotel development follows plans to more than double the number of berths at the marina as part of a £100m strategy by Irvine Bay chiefs to revitalise Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston, Kilwinning and Irvine.
This story is reprinted from the Evening Times www.eveningtimes.co.uk
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