An eyesore in a Moray town has taken another step forward to being brought back to life.
Plans have been lodged with the council to bring the historic building in Keith back into use as a restaurant.
The former Greigs building on Mid Street has been decaying for over a decade since the department store closed its doors.
Last year owner Barry Fettes was awarded a grant of £142,000 from the town’s conservation area regeneration scheme (Cars).
And yesterday, the joiner revealed tenants had already been lined up to run the restaurant on the corner of Reidhaven Square and Mid Street if the plans are approved, with the menu being kept tightly under wraps until then.
A beauticians is planned for the ground floor of the building with flats and houses also visualised.
Mr Fettes said: “We have had a lot of good comments about it. I want to get it all finished over the next winter.
“It’s definitely going to make a big difference to the town because it’s the main entrance into Mid Street.”
The prominent building has been boarded up since the drapery and carpet store closed. The Cars fund provides grants to help pay for repairs to the exterior of historic buildings in Keith’s conservation area.
When Mr Fettes bought the building two years ago the derelict building had no roof or windows, but he has worked to “totally rebuild it” himself.
Exterior work on the former department store and bakery has now finished with refurbishments inside due to continue over the winter.
The building was earmarked as a priority project for the Cars scheme when it started to help revitalise Mid Street.
Keith and Cullen councillor Gary Coull said: “It’s great to see the building has been revamped, refurbished and is almost ready to be used. It’s one of the most focal points in Keith, given its location.
“This is one of the key buildings in Keith and shows the Cars scheme has been a success. It has helped bring that building back into being used while still keeping the historical nature of it.”
