A petition has been launched to try and prevent Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake opening a new premium sports and entertainment gastro-pub in St Andrews.
The bar, called T-Squared Social, would be the second worldwide location from Woods and Timberlake, who unveiled their first pub in the heart of Manhattan last month.
The venue will open in 2024, subject to planning approval, in the New Picture House Cinema on North Street in St Andrews, located minutes from the famous Old Course.
The plans will see the theatre, built in 1930, undergo extensive renovations, with T-Squared Social maintaining one of the movie screen theatres for "watching theatrical films, live-to-cinema events and marquee TV programming".
The petition has been launched by Ash Johann Curry-Machado of St Andrews Film Society, who said the proposed transformation of the New Picture House by T-Squared Social “threatens to strip away a vital part of our town's identity and history”.
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He labelled the plans “deeply alarming” and “short-sighted” and “out of touch with the needs and desires of the local community and the student population”.
"It threatens to marginalise the very people who have nurtured and sustained the New Picture House for generations”, he said.
The New Picture House Cinema is also described as a “cherished and historic cultural landmark in our beloved town” and “the heart and soul of St Andrews”.
Mr Johann Curry-Machado added: “St Andrews is a town with a rich Scottish identity, and the New Picture House has played an indispensable role in preserving that heritage. Converting it into another sports bar is a grave mistake that will contribute to the ongoing gentrification of our beloved town. Our culture, our heritage, and our community spirit are at stake. We must act now before it's too late!”
Since being launched last week, the petition has gained over 9,000 signatures.
University of St Andrews student Honey Harrop, has also started an Instagram account to help publicise the petition.
The campaigner told The Herald: “The response from students and locals has overall been very negative to the proposal, with many students concerned about the loss of one of the only non-designated drinking evening venues in St Andrews. The cinema has been in St Andrews for 90 years and is deeply embedded within the town, along with the student life of St Andrews.
“The New Picture House is where students go for first dates, midnight movie screenings, student film premiers and nights out with friends.
“The loss of New Picture House would be a loss to the community of St Andrews as a whole, leaving a gap in North Street that no luxury sports bar could ever fill.”
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Inspired by upscale lounges, cocktail bars, and restaurants, T-Squared Social in St Andrews would include dining and viewing areas with multiple low and high-top tables and a variety of plush lounge areas.
T-Squared Social developer NEXUS Luxury Collection said the bar "redefines the multi-dimensional dining experience, merging elevated cuisine and craft cocktails with state-of-the-art Full Swing simulators for golf and other interactive gameplay, duckpin bowling, darts, and premium sports-watching with large format televisions".
Personal touches from Woods and Timberlake would also permeate the space, including large-format glossy photographs of Woods on the golf course and Timberlake in concert adorning the walls; customised golf bags inscribed with their names; and a selection of branded-merchandise and coasters etched with their signatures.
David Morris, Managing Director of the New Picture House, said: "Since opening for the first time in 1930, the New Picture House has been an integral part of the town's entertainment base.
"The planned T-Squared Social investment will enable the local community, students and visitors, the opportunity to experience a broader range of cinema, dining and entertainment at the popular venue.
"This unique investment opportunity will secure greater employment opportunities and the long-term future of the venue. We are excited to welcome Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake to St Andrews.
"The New Picture House will continue to operate as usual until further notice. The Directors look forward to supporting T-Squared Social with their development plans and to welcoming new and existing customers into the New Picture House on completion of the re-development works."
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