THE next stage of the £24million Central Greenock transformation project is getting underway.
Following the demolition of Hector McNeil House, main contractors Balfour Beatty will now start to knock down the eastern wing of the Oak Mall. That is expected to last several months.
The rest of the Oak Mall remains open during the work.
The Central Greenock redevelopment, which is largely funded by the UK Government and is being led by Inverclyde Council, will also see the removal of the A78 flyover at High Street and Bullring Roundabout to be replaced with a low-level road and signalised junction.
A new shopping centre entrance will be built and greenspaces and public areas created as part of the project.
More about the Central Greenock Project
Councillor Jim Clocherty, Inverclyde Council’s vice-convener of environment and regeneration and chair of the Greenock Town Centre Regeneration Forum, said: “The start of demolition on the eastern section of the Oak Mall is another key milestone in the transformation of the town centre.
“This section of the mall and the flyover which goes over the top of it are in a poor condition and there have been no tenants in this area of the centre for quite some time.
“A more compact shopping centre with a new entrance, improved public spaces, and better access for pedestrians and vehicles to and from other parts of the town centre and waterfront will provide a much-improved retail offer for everyone and help make central Greenock fit for the 21st Century.”
The Oak Mall demolition works will be followed by the main roadworks element of the project later this summer.
There will be diversion routes in place during the roadworks and changes to the roads network have already been made in advance of the works, including the realignment of Ratho Street, a new pedestrian crossing on Dunlop Street at Notre Dame High, and mini-roundabouts on Dalrymple Street and Container Way either side of Laird Street.
