FIRE Station Creative hope that the major arts and cultural centre at the old fire station on Carnegie Drive will be up and running in March after problems with the water supply halted progress.

Barr Construction accidentally cut off the mains feed to the building back in November, meaning there was no running water or toilet facilities, but work to resolve these issues is almost at an end.

Artist Ian Moir has been the driving force behind the project and he gave the Press an update on the waterworks from the fire station, saying, “It’s just in the process of getting resolved. The men have been working on it today (20th January) and it’s hopefully going to be resolved by tomorrow but I’ve heard all that before so we’ll have to wait and see!

“We are hoping to be open at the end of March, assuming there are no more problems like the water. We’re actually making very good progress despite these issues. The top floor is almost completely refurbished and repainted and that’s almost true for the second floor as well. By the end of next week the ground floor gallery will be started on too.

“We have had really good interest in the studio space with 18 out of the 21 spaces available now spoken for.

“We are delighted with that because there have been quite a few sceptics over the course of the project and this was one of their concerns. The secret was getting the price right. We are more or less on schedule now with a lift to be installed, joinery and paintwork to be finished and exterior work commencing on the 27th.” The fire station was in use until 2010 when the fire brigade moved to a new site in Pitreavie.

Reflecting on the project’s progress, Ian said, “The water problems have been going on for three months now. It’s a bit frustrating but good to see men on site now. They are confident that they are finally solving that problem.

“On a personal level, the most satisfying thing is that the tenants who we’ve attracted, often young graduates, have told us that they were actually going to leave and find studio space in Edinburgh or Glasgow so we are retaining local culture and talent.

“It’s really satisfying and what we initially set out to do.”