ARTS AND LEISURE
Baker Street Two local visionaries have hatched a tantalising plan for Paisley town centre.
O
lder readers will recall that Paisley was once home to a thriving network of independent cinemas. These days, like so many towns across the UK, it doesn’t have any. However, that may be about to change. Local businessman Gary Kerr and entrepreneur Andy Campbell are working alongside the council on an ambitious £24.7 million project that will hopefully transform Paisley’s landscape in more ways than one. They plan to build a state-of-the-art cinema and performing arts theatre complex on a piece of derelict wasteland near the town centre. That’s why, in
2014, they co-founded the Paisley Community Trust, a registered charity focused on the community-driven regeneration of Paisley. Named after the hit song by the late Paisley native Gerry Rafferty, Baker Street will encompass two theatre spaces, five boutique cinema screens, a performance academy plus restaurant, café and bar facilities. “We’re looking along the lines of the Grosvenor in Ashton Lane in Glasgow,” explains Kerr. “You can go there and see Mamma Mia! or Bohemian Rhapsody, but you can also see niche art-house films.” It’s undoubtedly a labour of love for these proud Buddies. “We were
born, bred, raised and educated in Paisley,” says Kerr, “so we wanted to give something back. A town the size of Paisley deserves a cinema.” “In Paisley you can do one of three things,” says Campbell. “You can stay and moan about things you might not like, you can choose to leave, or you can choose to stay and do something. We’ve chosen to stay. How can we play our part in helping the regeneration of the town? We remember the days when Paisley had a booming night time economy, but we’ve seen the decline of that in recent years. It’s all about revitalising that.” The proposed site, which is jointly owned by the council and a
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