Construction work on a new waterfront hotel and luxury flats on the site of a historic Kirkcaldy nightclub could start as early as this summer.
Local businessman Alex Penman, who owns the land which used to house the once famous Jackie O’s on the town’s Esplanade, has lodged plans with Fife Council for a 54-bed hotel complex and 30 state-of-the-art residential apartments, as well as three separate units underneath.
Planning permission was agreed in principle earlier this year and more detailed proposals will now be looked at by local authority officials.
In the meantime, members of the public can view and comment on the plans online before they go before planning committee members for final approval.
Kirkcaldy architects Davidson Baxter Partnership Ltd have drawn up a series of artists’ impressions for Mr Penman, depicting how the finished development will look, which the businessman described as “fantastic”.
He told The Courier: “This is an exciting development that will breathe new life into the area. There have been no objections to the plans thus far, so hopefully everything will continue to run smoothly.”
He added that he hoped work would start on site at the beginning of July, with a view to the development being fully completed in 18 months.
Mr Penman said he was already in discussions with three hotel operators interested in the development and he hoped that, once it was open for business, other developers might be enticed into investing in the area.
A design statement submitted to the council by Davidson Baxter Partnership says: “The site lies within the town centre and is easily accessible to all forms of transport, parking and the local amenities.
“The character of the area will be greatly enhanced by this development, with the influx of new residents and the integration of a hotel and commercial activity within the town centre.
“The development has been designed in a modern style and orientated to maximise the views to the Forth Estuary where practicable. Maximising energy efficiency has also been a key design consideration.”
Although more recently known as McSquinty’s and the Candlerooms, which closed in 2010, the site will be most fondly remembered in Fife and beyond as Jackie O’s, one of Scotland’s most popular nightclubs in the 1980s and 1990s.
The building was constructed by the Macioica family in 1930 and opened as the Trocadero cafe. It went on to operate under a variety of names in subsequent years, including the Troxy, Burma Dance Hall and the Winter Gardens.
However, its heyday came in the 1980s when it became Jackie O’s and attracted revellers from across Scotland. The venue gained further fame in 1994 when its logo adorned the shirts of the Coca-Cola Cup-winning Raith Rovers team.
In later years it was bought back by the Macioica family, who tried to resurrect its earlier success. However, the nightspot was eventually forced into voluntary liquidation before finally being demolished in October last year.