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New Johnstone Town Hall officially opened with party

Johnstone Town Hall 09

The official opening of the new Johnstone Town Hall is being marked with an afternoon-long party in the town centre on Saturday 16 May.

Renfrewshire Council is hosting the event from noon until 5pm to celebrate the completion of the new £14.5m building, which opened its doors at the end of March.

Johnstone Town Hall 09

The event will be spread across Houstoun and Ludovic Squares with outdoor activities including a main stage hosted by Clyde 1 DJs, live music, a funfair, giant games and inflatables and street entertainers.

The town hall will host a showcase of local groups and businesses run by Johnstone Business Consortium, face-painting by Johnstone Phoenix Theatre Group, and entertainment from Mischief Le Bas.

The striking glass-fronted town hall will be a hub for life in Johnstone and the villages for generations to come, and contains modern facilities including theatre space, a library, dance studio, ceremony suite, cafe, meeting rooms and conference facilities.

The building is also home to offices for council housing, social work, registry and Adviceworks staff, meaning it acts as a one-stop shop for a range of services.

Police Scotland and Macmillan Cancer Support are also due to move into the building later this year.

Johnstone Town Hall 09

The official opening will be performed by local MSP Hugh Henry before an audience of invited guests from throughout the community before the fun starts at noon.

At 7.30pm that evening there will be a family ceilidh with Clamjamfrie, but the free tickets – which were available on a first-come, first-served basis – are all now gone.

Renfrewshire’s Provost Anne Hall will be there on the day and she said: “It will be a pleasure to be there to help mark the official opening of the new town hall.

“The building has had a great reaction from local residents in the few weeks since it opened and that was important to us because the building is theirs now.

“We made a significant investment in the new town hall as a way of boosting the regeneration of the town and have been working with local businesses to make sure they can make the most of the opportunities that Saturday’s crowd will bring.

“If anybody has yet to see inside I would encourage them to come down at the weekend and join in the fun – it should be a great day.”

Elizabeth Speirs of Johnstone Business Consortium said: “We are delighted to be involved in such a historic event as the opening of the new town hall.

“Many of the consortium’s 50-plus members were actively involved in the preparation and planning and we believe the opening of the new town hall will be beneficial to local businesses and assist in the regeneration of the town.

“The consortium is just over a year old and in that time we have brought several successful events into the town centre. New members are always welcome, for more information contact 01505 321222, or 01505 327722.”

For more information, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/events

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First look inside Johnstone Town Hall as building set to open

Johnstone Town Hall

The long wait is almost over…Johnstone residents will this week be able to see inside their new £14.5m town hall when the building opens to the public for the first time.

And these pictures offer a sneak glimpse inside the state-of-the-art facility, which is set to be the centrepiece of life in the town for generations to come from Monday 23 March.

The striking glass-fronted structure has already been declared a winner – having been named Public Building of the Year at the Scottish Property Awards 2015.

Johnstone Town Hall

As the pictures show, it has been designed with a central ‘high street’ off which sits the main hall and theatre space, the new Johnstone library, a coffee shop and meeting and conference rooms.

The ground floor also contains a ceremony suite and bases for Police Scotland and Macmillan Cancer Support, while offices for Renfrewshire Council staff and a dance studio are upstairs.

Johnstone Town Hall

The building won’t be fully operational until later this year but Monday marks the start of a phased rollout of services, including the library, main reception and customer service centre.

Staff from the council’s housing department and Advice Works service will be in their new offices from that day, having moved from Floors Street and Collier Street.

Johnstone Town Hall

Their colleagues from the council’s social work service will still be based in Floorsburn House for another week, and will move into the new building on Monday 30 March.

The registrars’ service will still be based in McDowell Street until 10 April before it moves to its new home in the ceremony suite.

Bookings are now being taken for small-scale functions within the halls, which are open from Monday, although larger-scale functions won’t be available until May.

Councillor James Harte, convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Sport, Leisure and Culture Policy Board, said: “The project has been completed on budget and on schedule and we are thrilled to finally be able to open the doors.

Johnstone Town Hall

“Johnstone residents have watched the new building rise from the ground over the past two years and this week will be their first chance to have a look around.

“The council has made a massive financial commitment to the project to help drive the regeneration of Johnstone and the building has changed the face of the entire town centre.

Johnstone Town Hall

“It has already won awards for its design and build – and I am sure the public will be as impressed by the building as the judges at the Scottish Property Awards were.

“Ultimately the residents of Johnstone are the ones who matter most – the building was shaped by them and built for them, and I am sure they will make great use of the modern facilities within it.”

Johnstone Town Hall

Council leader Mark Macmillan and Provost Anne Hall will visit the building on the day it opens to meet some of the first visitors through the door, with an official opening ceremony to take place later this spring.

For more information about the building or to make a booking, call 0300 300 1210 or email eventhires@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Johnstone Town Hall

Images courtesy of Renfrewshire Council.

 

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New Johnstone Town Hall nominated for national award

n0610 2935 Johnstone STREET1

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The project to build a new Johnstone Town Hall has been nominated for a prestigious award to showcase the best new property in Scotland.

The £14.5m town hall – due to open in summer 2015 – is on a four-building shortlist to be named Public Building of the Year at the Scottish Property Awards.

The striking glass-fronted building is being taken forward by Renfrewshire Council as part of its ongoing plans to regenerate the centre of Johnstone.

n0610 2935 Johnstone STREET1

Phase one of construction was completed in the summer when the building was made fully wind and watertight, and work has been continuing ever since to fit out the inside and landscape the public spaces outside.

Once open, the new town hall will house modern facilities including a library, theatre and conference space, marriage suite, cafe and meeting rooms.

The building will also be home to council housing and social work staff, as well as offices for Police Scotland and Macmillan Cancer Support.

The winners of the Scottish Property Awards will be announced at a ceremony in Edinburgh in March.

n0913 2935 Johnstone Hall PERFORMANCE

Nominated in the Town Centre Regeneration Project of the Year category is the work to transform Linwood town centre by Manson Architects on behalf of Tesco, which includes the new Tweedie Hall, opened by the council this summer.

Councillor James Harte, convener of the council’s Sport, Leisure and Culture Policy Board, said: “Over the past year, Johnstone residents have watched the new building rise from the ground and change the face of the town.

“We have made a significant investment in this project, which is one of the biggest public-sector building projects anywhere in Scotland at the moment.

“So we are delighted this distinctive and striking building has been recognised by a panel of independent judges as one of the best in the country.

“Once open next summer it will be a modern hub for life in Johnstone and the surrounding villages for generations to come.”

John Hamilton, chair of the Scottish Property Federation, which supports the programme, said: “The judging session was a very positive and enjoyable experience which allowed us to assess some very striking, complex projects across Scotland.

“The Scottish Property Awards have a very important role to play in helping to restore confidence in the building industry and I’m really pleased to support this much valued celebration.”

For more information about the new Johnstone Town Hall, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/johnstone[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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New Johnstone Town Hall is just the job for youngsters

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New Johnstone Town Hall is just the job for youngsters

The project to build the new £14.5m Johnstone Town Hall is also helping to build the careers of young people from throughout Renfrewshire and beyond.

Work on the new town hall started in October 2013 and will continue until the building opens next summer.

johnstone town hall 03

So far, the project’s community benefits programme has seen 14 people receive an employment opportunity such as a job, apprenticeship, graduate position or work placement with various contractors

The community benefits programme is being delivered by Hub West Scotland, who help manage the contract for the project, which is led by Renfrewshire Council.

Once complete, the building will house a range of modern facilities, including a library, 300-seat theatre, marriage suite, conference space, cafe and meeting rooms.

It will also be home to offices for the council’s housing and social work departments, Police Scotland and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Mark Macmillan visited the site to see progress on construction and met three Renfrewshire residents who have been taken on to work on the programme – Martin Wylie, Dominic Pacitti and Josh Meechan.

He said: “Once complete, the new Johnstone Town Hall will be a fantastic hub for the town and surrounding villages.

“Since the turn of the year, residents have been watching the building rise from the ground and what they can see now is a very striking-looking structure.

“It was great to visit the site and meet the workers as this project takes in two of the biggest priorities of this council – regeneration and jobs.

“The council is tackling unemployment by helping organisations create job opportunities for residents, and our Invest in Renfrewshire programme has already produced impressive results on this count.

“Plus, the work on the new Johnstone Town Hall is just one of several major town centre regeneration projects happening across Renfrewshire just now.

“We also have a new town hall in Linwood, new flats on the Arnotts site in Paisley, and the plans are moving forward for the restoration of the Russell Institute.”

Josh Meechan, 25, from Paisley – who has been hired as an assistant quantity surveyor by BAM – added: “I saw the job advertised through university email and started in January.

“It’s been really good – and has dramatically impacted on my life. Going from a small company to a massive one like this has opened up lots of new avenues for me.”

So far on the project, around 13 per cent of work packages – totaling around £1m – have been awarded to Renfrewshire businesses.

The community benefits programme has also seen a series of activity days in local schools, as well as sponsorship of Johnstone Burgh FC.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator icon=”star”][vc_column_text]Courtesy of Renfrewshire Council.

Picture shows Cllr Macmillan (front) with Steven Cheyne (BAM Construction site manager), Lindsey McNaughtan (Hub West Scotland), Neil Watson (Renfrewshire Council), Dominic Pacitti, Josh Meechan and Martin Wylie.

For regular updates on local news and events follow @RenCouncilNews on Twitter or our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/renfrewshirecouncil.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator icon=”star”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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New Johnstone Town Hall gets seal of approval

New Johnstone Town Hall gets seal of approval.

The first phase of construction on Johnstone’s new £14.5m town hall is now complete – and has been given the seal of approval.

Renfrewshire’s Provost Anne Hall was on hand to conduct a topping-out ceremony as she trowelled the final piece of concrete in the frame of the new building.

Renfrewshire Council has made a significant investment in the new town hall – due to open in summer 2015 – as part of its commitment to the regeneration of Johnstone.

It will house a new library, marriage suite, theatre and conference space, meeting rooms and a café, plus offices for council housing and social work staff, Police Scotland and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Construction began late last year and has progressed on schedule. The steel frame of the building is now complete, with the walls and roof starting to take shape.

The contractors hope to have the building fully wind and watertight by summer, after which work will continue to fit out the building and on the public space around it.

After taking part in the topping-out ceremony, Provost Hall said: “I was delighted to be there to help mark this important milestone in the construction of the new Johnstone Town Hall.

“It is impressive to think this structure has risen from the ground in less than three months.

“The new building will be bright, open and modern, and construction is now at the stage where Johnstone residents can start to visualise how it will look when they pass it.

“The council has invested a huge sum of money in the new facility – which we expect to be the centrepiece for life in the town and its surroundings villages for generations to come.”

Provost Hall was joined on site by representatives of building contractors BAM and by Hub West Scotland, who are helping to manage the project.

The building’s design was developed in close consultation with Johnstone residents at a series of events in 2012 – and the council is currently working with community representatives on designs for public artwork to sit inside the hall.

The council is also consulting with residents on plans for a new 50-space car park near Church Street as part of the development.

The proposals were well received and if planning permission is granted, the new car park could be in place by the autumn.

For more information on the town hall project, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/johnstone

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New town hall attracts investment plans for Johnstone

Johnstone Town Hall exterior

New town hall attracts investment plans for Johnstone.

Building work on the new Johnstone Town Hall is starting to take shape – with the development now attracting proposed private-sector investment in the town.

The owners of the shopping precinct next to the town hall site have submitted a planning application which would see new retail units created.

If approved, it would see the layout of the existing Co-op store altered to include new retail units with improved shopfronts, plus the removal of the existing roof canopies, and the demolition of the vacant and derelict offices upstairs.

Work on the new town hall building is progressing on schedule – with the steelwork frame having risen from the ground since the new year, giving residents an outline of how the completed facility will look when it opens in summer 2015.

Renfrewshire Council has made a major investment in the £14.5m town hall, which will house a new library, marriage suite, theatre and conference space, meeting rooms and a café.

It will also contain offices for council housing and social work staff, as well as Police Scotland and Macmillan Cancer Support.

And councillors have hailed news of the planning application as evidence that the council’s investment in the town hall will pay dividends for Johnstone.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Mark Macmillan, said: “The new Johnstone Town Hall is one of the most significant public-sector investments anywhere in Scotland just now.

“It was always our expectation that the project would be the catalyst for the wider regeneration of the town – and the prospect of further development shows that the project has created conditions in which private sector is willing to invest.

“When the new building opens, it will be a hub for life in Johnstone – bringing people into the town centre for work, as well as a wide range of civic and cultural events.

“We expect that the footfall this will bring will benefit businesses throughout the town.”

The town hall building project is also bringing other benefits to the community – with two jobs having been created as a result.

Both Hescott Engineering (the company responsible for the steelworks) and WH Malcolm – who are working on the groundworks and drainage – have taken people on as a result of the community benefits programme.

The programme has also seen two work experience placements so far, and will include a careers day at Johnstone High School later in February for pupils to find out more about the project.

Courtesy of Renfrewshire Council.

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New Johnstone town hall praised as building work starts

New Johnstone town hall praised as building work starts.

The new £14.5m Johnstone Town Hall has been hailed as a development which will benefit the whole town, as work starts on the new building.

Workers have been on site this week to start groundworks on the 21-month project to build and fit out the state-of-the-art town hall.

The building is being taken forward by Renfrewshire Council and represents a massive investment in the regeneration of Johnstone.

Johnstone Town Hall work starts

When it opens in summer 2015, the town hall will house a new library, marriage suite, theatre and conference space, meeting rooms and a café.

It will also contain offices for Renfrewshire Council housing and social work staff, as well as Police Scotland and Macmillan Cancer Support.

And Provost Anne Hall – who attended a small ceremony to mark the start of building work – believes the development will be a major boost for Johnstone.

She said: “This will be more than just a building – it will be a modern centrepiece for the entire town.

“It will bring a number of important facilities and services under one roof – there will be something there of benefit to every resident of the town and its surrounding area.

“A lot of work has already gone into the design for this building over the past few years – and the council has been very keen to involve the community in that.

“The start of building work marks another significant milestone along the way.”

Provost Hall was joined on site by representatives of BAM Construction, the building contractors, and Hub West Scotland, who manage the contract.

Earlier this month, Renfrewshire Council unveiled hoardings around the site which display an illustration of buildings and landmarks around the town.

The epic artwork – which stretches around three sides of the site – is intended to represent and showcase the town’s past, present and future while work is ongoing.

A temporary Johnstone Library will be open in Collier Street while the work is ongoing.

For more information about the project, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/johnstone or call 0300 300 0114.

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