A community group hopes a mothballed Perth sports centre could be revived as an art facility.
Perth Arts wants to transform the former Rodney centre and its gardens into an art studio and cafe.
It comes after councillors controversially agreed to close the site and move equipment to Bell’s Sports Centre earlier this summer.
The centre could be sold off – but the council is also exploring the idea of turning it into an annex for Kinnoull Primary School.
Centre for art and wellbeing
However Perth Arts founder Louise Velazquez, 69, believes the former Live Active Leisure site should be kept as a centre for culture, art and wellbeing.
The group plans to apply for grants to fund the project – but will need the council’s permission to take it over.
Louise said: said: “We’d like centre to be a place of open access for people of Perth.
“We want to work with the council on this and do this together.
“This needs to be between the community and the council. Local people need to be in these spaces.
“Perth has had a tough couple of years and we need to bring some creativity back into the centre.
“With our plans, the centre would become a space where artists can come and work, and people can create. We would also like to open a cafe.”
The last couple of years have been horrid for creatives, so it would be nice for local artists to have somewhere to go to work
Louise used to live in Cuba and was involved in cultural projects over there.
She continued: “I was in a melting pot of different cultures.
“I want to be able to use my experience in this sector to benefit Perth.
“The last couple of years have been horrid for creatives, so it would be nice for local artists to have somewhere to go to work.
“There are endless possibilities with this place and as a group Perth Arts is the ideal fit for this building. We see the potential in it.”
Interest in Rodney centre from various parties
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson has said: “Following a report to council in June about the future of Rodney, a number of expressions of interest have been received.
“These will all be considered in line with our legal obligations for transfer or disposal of public buildings.
“Officers have had extensive dialogue with Perth Arts and have offered advice and support to the group on how to submit a viable proposal for taking on the management of Rodney.”
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