Tom Stewart, who was first involved in buying property in Paisley in the 1990s, is clearly an enthusiast about the town and its recent regeneration.
Such is the entrepreneur’s confidence that earlier this year he announced a £3.5 million plan to build a 40-bedroom boutique hotel, bar and brasserie and conference facilities by transforming two historic buildings in the town centre.
To be called the Patternmaker, in acknowledgement of the town’s famous fabric, it will join the four-star Ashtree House near Paisley Museum, which is owned by Stewart’s family firm.
“When I worked as an architect in Glasgow in the 1980s we used to come to Paisley for lunch and at the weekends. In the 1990s, if you were investing in property, what you could buy in Paisley was tremendously good value and we were able to look at the location, the great buildings and see that it had huge potential – and that’s still our view.”
Support from local authorities and government has been improving and as a board member of the former Paisley Vision and now chairman of the recently established Business Improvement District he is at the heart of re-energising the town’s centre.
“This has a very direct and a very real focus and is making the town centre a better place to visit,” he says.
There is, of course, room for further change. “An example of what we could do better is opening up the High Street to traffic,” he says. “In terms of the visitor experience, access by car to hotels, the university and the museum unlocks huge development potential.
“Things are changing: we are three months into Business Improvement District and doors are being opened.
“If you look at the UK and town centres that are as close to an international airport you’ll struggle to find one like Paisley.”
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