A huge storage complex could be built on the edge of Perth to house the council’s vast collection of arts and treasures.
Local authority bosses want to build a secure warehouse-type building at Inveralmond for around 500,000 hidden artefacts.
It would be built as part of a multi-million-pound shake-up of the area’s cultural attractions, including radical revamps of the Perth Museum and Art Gallery and City Hall.
Councillors will be asked to approve plans for the new complex during talks on Wednesday.
In his report, head of property services Stephen Crawford states: “The collection is currently stored in the basement of Perth Museum and Art Gallery.
“This arrangement is not deemed to be appropriate due to the nature and layout of the current building, the restrictions this places on the display areas and the physical barriers to providing appropriate storage for the collection, which holds approximately 500,000 items.”
Mr Crawford said: “Construction work at the museum cannot proceed until an appropriate collections store has been constructed and the collections have been removed.”
He said the aim was to find a site which was already owned by the local authority.
“Significant land or building purchase has been ruled out for time and budget reasons due to the critical nature of this project in delivering a fully refurbished Perth Museum and Art Gallery,” he said.
Privately owned sites were also investigated, but none were deemed suitable.
The preferred option is a site at Inveralmond South Businss Park, off Auld Bond Road, near the Holiday Inn hotel.
Another proposal is an empty plot at Broxden Business Park, although the price of the creating a complex here may be much higher, given that it is one of Perth’s key economic development sites.
The Courier revealed on Saturday that a competition will be held, offering the world’s top designers the chance to transform Perth City Hall into a visual arts centre.
Councillors will be told that given the nature of the storage building, it is unlikely a city hall-style competition would be necessary.
The council still wants to bring the Stone of Destiny to Perth, but doubts have been cast over where it could end up.
It was originally announced the stone would be a centrepiece at the new look city hall, although bosses are now considering placing it in the museum and art gallery.
