Workmen spotted on new hotel site in Inverness for first time in months – but what are they doing?

By Rita Campbell

December 9 2022, 5:00 pm

Contractors were spotted taking the fencing and advertising signs away from the hotel development site on Church Street. Image: Jason Hedges/DC Thomson

Activity at a city centre hotel site raised hopes that work was resuming on the paused project.

The former council building in Church Street is earmarked to become a “stylish, urban hotel”.

Artist impressions of the completed Kin Hotel in Inverness.

But Covid, soaring costs and the economic crisis contributed to work being put on hold to wait for better days.

Contractors were spotted on site for the first time in months yesterday, generating a bit of excitement that the job was back on.

But the man behind the plans told The Press and Journal it was just a neighbourly tidy up.

The workers were called in to clear fencing and advertising from the site.

Tony Story, managing director of Patio Hotels, is keen to keep the street tidy until the project can resume.

Renovations to turn the empty four-storey building into the new 77-bedroom Kin Hotel will continue as soon as possible.

Formerly known as Bridge House, the building is in a prominent location on a corner with Bank Lane.

It is close to High Street and Bridge Street, and has views over the river.

Asbestos has been removed from the building

Initial work to remove asbestos from the building was completed in 2020.

But as the cost of the build contract grew by £2-3million, tools were downed.

Patio Hotels also owns Kingsmills and Ness Walk in the city. Mr Story said: “The cost of construction projects went through the roof.

“Rather than us having a mess left there until we were ready to continue, we decided the best thing to do was to remove the hoarding and get the street cleaned up.”

Inverness hotelier Tony Story at the Church Street site before work began. Image: Sandy McCook

He added: “When we first started the project we were sensitive about the impact the works were going to have on our neighbouring businesses.

“We were hoping to have it completed by last year. But with all that happened in the meantime – dare I say interest rates, the cost of construction. Our costs were going up by £2-3million in a budget of £8million.

“The heat is going to come out of things quite soon. We will get back to some sort of normality.

“Once we have got the right contractor we will get on with it.”

Christmas is coming

Mr Story had the hoarding and fencing removed. He said: “It was encroaching onto the footpath by about two or three metres.

“What with Christmas coming up, and more people being about, rather than having that taking over the street, with no work going on just now, we decided to take it down.

“It wasn’t very pretty. The first phase is complete.”