Dumfries community-owned building is hoped to transform high street
The Standard was inspired by the former newspaper and has the lettering incorporated into the design of the building.
The former Bakers Oven in Dumfries High Street has completed its first phase of transformation as The Standard.
Construction work has finished, and contractors have handed over the community-owned building to the Midsteeple Quarter Community Benefit Society.
The first residents have already begun moving into six of the seven flats above the community enterprise hub which is also now open to the public.
Midsteeple Quarter’s Interim Executive Director Kathryn Hill says this is exciting news.
“It means that the community now has something new on the high street. A lot of local people don’t come down to the high street anymore, they don’t feel like there is anything for them anymore and we want to change that.
“We want to make the high street a place that has something to offer.”
Chair of the Midsteeple Quarter Robert Richmond says this “completion marks the dawn of a new era for our town centre” which will encourage entrepreneurship.
The construction of 139 High Street into The Standard was a £7.3 million project taking just over two years to complete.
Hill says, “Of the residential spaces, six of the seven flats are already occupied, and we are having a lot of conversations with people who are interested in using the enterprise spaces.”
She adds that she hopes this will be an inspiration to other communities.
“People are looking at us nationally to see how we’ve done this and to see how we have used these buildings going forward so that we can be a model of how high streets can work better for the community.”
RH Irving Construction Managing Director Mark Moodycliffe says, “We are proud and delighted to have successfully completed construction of The Standard - the first stage of what everyone hopes is an ongoing journey to regenerate and reimagine Dumfries town centre.”