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Work on the community and enterprise hub which sits below the flats has been the final piece of the landmark project to have been completed in recent days, ready for people to start using the spaces, those behind the project noted.
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RH Irving Construction, the main contractor on the project which has turned the derelict shell of the former Baker’s Oven at 139 High Street into The Standard, has formally handed the site back to Midsteeple Quarter Community Benefit Society.
Construction of The Standard – a £7.3 million project supported by the Scottish Government, South of Scotland Enterprise, Dumfries & Galloway Council and the Holywood Trust – has taken slightly more than two years to complete.
It has been named in honour of the site being the former historic home of the Dumfries & Galloway Standard newspaper.
Those behind the project said: “The seven flats for rent are the first new homes on the High Street in living memory, with many offering amazing views across the town.
“This marks the most significant milestone yet in the organisation’s long-term mission to create a new neighbourhood following a trailblazing community campaign for residents to buy this site and five other nearby properties.”
Robert Richmond, chair of Midsteeple Quarter, 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 by giving people, enterprises and organisations affordable opportunities to have their own home on the High Street too.”
RH Irving Construction 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 reimagine Dumfries town centre.
“This has been a challenging and complex project, and I am grateful for the tireless efforts of our management, delivery teams and supply-chain partners over the past two years. We have enjoyed strong constructive and collaborative relationships with Midsteeple Quarter, its project design team and other stakeholders, which has gone a long way towards successful completion.”
He added: “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.”
Kathryn Hill, Midsteeple Quarter’s interim executive director, 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.
“What’s more, 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 new homes are being rented at “mid-market” rates.
Midsteeple Quarter’s allocations work was led by the team at South of Scotland Community Housing.
Tenancies are now being managed by the social enterprise Homes for Good, on the community benefit society’s behalf.
Those behind the project said of The Standard: “Its proud printing past is reflected in features including lettering in the building’s brickwork, as well as a striking entrance to the flats along Standard Close, which links High Street and Irish Street.
“The building has been designed with environmental sustainability at its core, with energy-efficiency measures including solar panels and an air-source heat pump. The development is also car-free, with no parking.”
