SATURDAY markets could be the way forward to regenerate Ayr Town Centre and bring more people back to the seaside resort.

Ayr Renaissance bought the former Clydesdale bank in March earlier this year and plan to turn it into a market place which could feature live entertainment as well as food and other business development.

Plans were outlined at an Elite Business Circle Business meeting at Dansarena Studios on Friday, June 3.

David Bell, Managing Director, Ayr Renaissance said: "We are currently the proud owners of probably the biggest pigeon hole in Ayr. We have wanted this building for years and applied for it three years ago. 

"We finally got the building in March this year and plan to re-furbish it. We want to turn it back into a market similar to one 'Meal Market' we saw in England which was bustling full of people.

"It is our aim to open up the ground floor and courtyard to create an indoor and outdoor market. If we get licensing for the upper floors of the building we could see 30-40 people in the building straight away."

It is hoped this venture will will bring different aspects of food, art and music into the town which could include theatrical and comedy events too to complement what is going on at the Gaiety. 

David added: "I think there will be a demand for this sort of thing."

Ayr Renaissance hope that plans to transform the Kyle Centre into a cinema complex and leisure centre will be given the go ahead. 

The Ayr Riverside Block which consists of the properties at 8 – 48 High Street, Ayr will be demolished by 2017. 

The majority of these properties are vacant, and have been identified as a priority redevelopment project to contribute to the regeneration of the north end of High Street.

There are also designs in place that will encourage the town to promote Ayr River giving it more of a purpose within the local community and make it a tourist destination for visitors.

Mr Bell continued: "The town needs to use the river and and stop turning its back on it. We want to develop walkways along the river front and create a public open space near the river too. We could create court yards."

It is hoped the new market will be up and running by 2017 at the same time the Riverside Block is demolish