Work to transform Dumbarton’s oldest building into a state of the art museum and library has taken another step forward, with project managers appointed.
Leeds based Turner and Townsend were awarded a four month £150,000 contract for the transformation of Glencairn House, and they will work with Glasgow’s PagePark architects to continue work on the £4.8m project.
The redevelopment of Glencairn House will be funded by a £19m grant from the UK Government’s Levelling Up fund, which is set to transform Dumbarton High Street with the demolition of the Artizan Centre and redevelopment of the main shopping hub in the town.
Key to that will be the historic Glencairn House, with councillors initially approving plans in 2019 - before the pandemic put the development on hold. It is now hoped that the building will open in 2024.
At a meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council’s tendering committee last week, members approved the appointment of Turner and Townsend to manage the project - alongside architects PagePark.
Procurement officer Derek McLean explained the reasons behind choosing Turner and Townsend, saying: “One of the main reasons why Turner and Townsend were a good fit for this project is because, through their supply chain, we’re able to retain the services of PagePark architects to take into detailed design.
“They can build on the work they have done in previous stages.
“The project will be managed from Turner and Townsend’s Glasgow office.
“Previous use of Turner and Townsend was one of the main drivers behind their selection.
“They have committed to paying above the living wage, and any additional social benefits will be discussed at the implementation stage.”
When asked why the councils’ own architectural services team weren’t involved by Kilpatrick councillor Lawrence O’Neill, council leader Jonathan McColl added: “I was told that we didn’t have the capacity at that stage within the architecture team to progress the project. That’s why PagePark were appointed in the first instance and why we want to retain them just now.
“They have worked on the documents and have an intimate knowledge of the fine details, so it makes sense to me to keep them on.”
When works are complete Glencairn House, which was built in 1623, will be home to a museum of Dumbarton’s history, as well as a library and community spaces.
Items on display are set to include a Roman Medallion found in the town, a logbook from the Cutty Sark and 15th and 16th century Royal Charters.
The new development will also offer panoramic views onto the River Leven and Levengrove Park and a cafe, whilst the existing Dumbarton Library will become an archive and research centre.
