You may have seen our practice in Ayr is relocating to exciting, new premises at 16 Miller Road. We'll be completing a full refit of the 2 storey building and opening the practice at Miller Road in late summer. It has been quite a journey up until this point and we wanted to share the story along the way. The highs, the lows, and everything in between.
So where did it begin…
We acquired the practice in Ayr from the Optical Outlet in March 2019, located in the Arran Mall. At that time we were aware South Ayrshire Council had initial consultative plans to regenerate the town centre in Ayr, mainly at the Kyle Centre but also incorporating the Arran Mall. So we knew from the start that we would have to move our premises in the not too distant future. We really like the Arran Mall but over time, it has become increasingly tired looking, particularly since the closure of the much loved Hourstons Department store. The challenges on the High Street are well documented and when I look at the Arran Mall, I can remember exactly what it was like. With full occupancy, it would have been a bustling off shoot to Alloway Street. In many ways, it’s quite quaint and would suit street side cafes and bars but the surrounding area and reducing footfall has left it needing much more to get it back to where it was.
So we knew that unfortunately this wasn’t going to be our long-term home and had been keeping an eye out on what properties were available. We had a few areas we liked and these included Barns Terrace, Alloway Place, Wellington Square and Miller Road. Miller Road was always our preference and probably the most suitable due to it’s on street parking and occupancy levels. The street is well maintained and filled with other thriving professional services includes William Duncan Accountants and our neighbours, Strathayr Financial Services.
We wanted a property that was not on the high street, similar to our practice in Kilmarnock. It had to be different, it had to be at least 1500 Sq Ft and it had to tell the story of our business and our patients.
And there is was…16 Miller Road, ticking all of the boxes.
I first spotted it on a day I was travelling to the Arran Mall. I always come along Holmston Road, round by Burns Statue Square and down on to Miller Road. I think in part I take this route hoping to spot something…and finally I did. Strangely enough, it was a few days later that we enquired about it and had our first viewing. It would have been late October 2020 and it would be a few weeks later before we had the terms agreed on the purchase. With any project of this size, it takes some consideration and initially we thought about just using the ground floor, and leasing the upstairs, but it became apparent quite quickly that our wider business could benefit from this space and therefore we’re going to be using it all.
See behind the scenes and follow our journey as we complete our refit over on our new Instagram page @journeytomillerroad. We'll be sharing our plans and asking for your input along the way!
- Peter, Managing Director