Kirkcaldy’s Mercat Centre is at the heart of an ambitious High Street redevelopment project.
Plans for a new eight-screen cinema, together with four new restaurant/bar units are to be unveiled to the public later this month.
The shopping centre’s asset manager LaSalle Investment Management wants to create the leisure complex on the site of the former swimming pool.
A pre-application notification has already been lodged with Fife Council in advance of a formal planning application being submitted.
Fife Council leader David Ross welcomed the proposal, saying it could deliver an “exciting major town centre redevelopment scheme”.
“While this is at an early stage in the planning process and there’s no guarantee, at this stage, that it will go ahead, we have been working with LaSalle over the last few years, and I believe their proposal is credible and realistic.
“This development proposal has the potential to deliver real economic benefits to the town centre and the wider community in Kirkcaldy.
“It would provide another significant sign of positive change in Kirkcaldy town centre, as well as providing the potential to roll out further investment across the town centre,” he said.
Kirkcaldy area committee chairman Neil Crooks added that the council and the Kirkcaldy Ambitions Partnership Group had made substantial investment on a number of projects.
These include a revamp of Kirkcaldy Galleries, improvements to the Esplanade multi storey car park, reduced parking rates, installation of town centre WiFi, new signs, the opening of the Adam Smith Heritage Centre and work to maximise the potential of Kirkcaldy’s waterfront.
“We hope that this important work will continue to act as a catalyst for other new town centre regeneration projects to come forward that enhance Kirkcaldy’s night time and leisure offerings,” he said.
Planning application for the scheme is expected to be submitted to Fife Council this summer, subject to any issues that may arise from the pre application notification process.
The public exhibition and consultation will take place in the Mercat from 12.30pm to 5.30pm on Friday March 24 and 9.30 am to 1.30pm the following day.