A new £500,000 indoor food village could be set up in the site of the former Next store in the Loreburne Centre in Dumfries.
Hurstwood Holdings, which bought the shopping complex in May, has submitted a planning application to the council for the development.
Centre manager, Michael O’Hagan, said the plans would see the transformation of the former Next unit, which has been empty for the last three years, into an indoor food village.
He said: “The food village is a vital step in our plan to improve the existing offering as we look to create a vibrant, dynamic and successful family destination where people, young and old, will want to meet.
“By implementing these initiatives, we are reinforcing our commitment to the continual improvement of the Loreburne Centre as well as supporting the Scottish Government’s Town Centre First policy.”
The food village is the next stage of investment by Hurstwood, which has already committed more than £250,000 worth of immediate refurbishment works at the centre within the first six months of ownership.
When the Manchester-based company bought the site, chairman Stephen Ashworth said: “This is the only shopping centre in the town and has been very popular with both the local community and people from neighbouring towns and we believe is vital to the future economic success of the area.”
Despite a petition launched by staff gathering more than 3,000 signatures, the shop closed with the loss of 25 jobs.
