Standard opening is start of a 'new era' in Dumfries

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The first residents have started moving into the seven flats created at the community-owned building on Dumfries’ High Street – now known as The Standard.

The landmark £7.3m Dumfriesshire initiative is being hailed a “new era” for the town centre by providing the first homes created on the High Street in living memory – and the community and enterprise hot-desking hub, meeting rooms, exhibition and event areas are now also ready for usage.

Supported by the Scottish Government, South of Scotland Enterprise, Dumfries and Galloway Council and the Holywood Trust – it has taken just over two years to complete.

Robert Richmond, chairman of the Midsteeple Quarter Community Benefit Society, said: “This is a community-owned building unlike any other in Dumfries. We are incredibly excited about what the future holds.

“Its completion marks the dawn of a new era for our town centre, where people return to living in quality homes sitting above spaces which encourage entrepreneurship.”

Main contractors, RH Irving Construction have completely transformed the derelict shell of the former Baker’s Oven at 139 High Street and its surrounds which were once the former historic home of the Dumfries and Galloway Standard newspaper.

And it has been named in honour of The Standard with its proud printing past reflected in features including lettering in the building’s brickwork, as well as a striking entrance to the flats along the now named Standard Close, which links High Street and Irish Street.

An official opening of The Standard is being planned for a few months time and there will be a chance for Midsteeple Quarter members and the wider community to see inside the transformed building.

It is the most significant milestone yet for the Midsteeple Quarter which is breathing new life into the High Street and its interim executive director, Kathryn Hill, said: “The Standard is the first step towards making our town centre not just a place where people work or visit, but one where they live, meeting demand for new homes and injecting fresh life into the area.

“It’s a site not controlled by faceless owners, but the community through our members. Every decision we make has the best interest of the town at its heart.”

The flats are being rented out at a mid-market rate and the building has been designed with environmental sustainability at its core. Energy-efficiency measures include solar panels and an air-source heat pump.

The development is also car-free, with no parking.

RH Irving Construction’s managing director, Mark Moodycliffe, said: “We are proud and delighted to have successfully completed construction of The Standard – the first stage of what everyone hopes is an ongoing journey to regenerate and re-imagine Dumfries town centre.

“I am particularly proud that the project was delivered by a locally-based company, with our project and site teams – along with most of our supply chain – local to Dumfries and Galloway, ensuring maximum local economic benefit was delivered.”

Midsteeple Quarter’s enterprise Manager, Jakob Kaye, said that community groups, enterprises and other organisations are poised to begin using the enterprise spaces, both for standalone events and longer-term uses. Anyone interested in using them should email: enterprise@midsteeplequarter.org.

Midsteeple Quarter directors are currently developing plans for its next phases of work and redevelopment, looking at those other buildings it owns – numbers 109, 111, 113-115 and 117 High Street – which are currently in “meanwhile” use with a mixture of long-term tenants and pop-up spaces, - as well as 51 Bank Street, where it has secured planning permission to create four new flats.

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