Inverness area councillors are to meet on Monday to decide which projects will benefit from £252,000 town centre funding now available.
The cash is the city’s share of the £1.06m pot allocated to Highland Council by the Scottish Government to stimulate local construction activity and support employment during the current crisis.
Work must start by March and finish by September, with the tight turnaround proving problematic for some projects, but eight have come forward.
The councillors’ challenge will be to decide which will benefit from the funding as the total being requested , £435,00, is significantly more than the funds available.
In Barron Taylor’s Street, Inverness, Glen Mhor Ltd is looking for more than £20,000 towards converting the second and third floor of No 2 into flexible offices.
In Academy Street MacGregors Bars is looking for more than £30,000 towards a new sit-in or takeaway gourmet fish bar.
Browns Gallery in Castle Street is looking for £41,000 to bring 81a Castle Street back into productive use as an art gallery and small cultural events space.
Also on Castle Street, the Castle Tavern is requesting £13,000 towards improving the external space around the property with more seating, cycle and bin storage.
Highland Council has applied for £35,000 to improve the High Street’s appearance, declutter it and make it a better pedestrian/cyclist experience.
The council also wants to remove redundant lighting columns and refresh the street lighting, remove bollards, and paint and refurbish the street furniture.
The council is also looking for £150,000 for shopfront improvements as part of the £10m redevelopment of Nos 7-17.
Glen Urquhart community council is seeking £75,000 towards demolishing the former shop for community space, while Beauly community council is looking for £70,000 to refurbish the dilapidated public toilets.
Meanwhile, more than £196,000 town centre funding has been agreed for distribution in the Black Isle and Dingwall.
Rosemarkie and Fortrose Trust will receive an additional £25,000 to allow them to complete the refurbishment of the public toilets in the villages.
Dingwall town hall will see £100,000 towards roof repairs.
The remaining cash will go towards improvements to the North Kessock A9 layby, covering improved lighting to the steps, a waste disposal facility, information/interpretation and white lining of spaces.
