Much loved Perth landmark to get a new life

US businessman and football club owner reveals plans

A historic Perth landmark which has lain vacant for years is set to be brought back to commercial life by the American owner of St Johnstone FC.

The Category C listed Old Tolbooth at the Bridgend side of the iconic Perth Bridge has been purchased by Atlanta-based lawyer and businessman, Adam Webb, who took control of Perthshire’s premier sports team in summer 2024.

The McDiarmid Park chief revealed to local business leaders at a special talk and networking event on Monday evening, hosted by St Johnstone Business Club, that he had purchased 1 West Bridge Street with a view to leasing it for a riverside café venture.

The building has been part of Perth’s architectural heritage since around 1800, shortly after the opening of Perth bridge, which was designed by lauded engineer John Smeaton in 1771.

Latest incarnation

Its initial use was as a toll collection point for vehicles crossing the River Tay but it was later used as a grocer shop for JS Lees, whose name still appears above the shop door.

The vacant building has been on Historic Environment Scotland’s Buildings At Risk register for some time but looks set to begin a new chapter, with Mr Webb disclosing that preparatory engineering works had already been carried out on the structure.

He also expressed his hope of beginning work ‘in the near future’, saying that bringing the building back to life as a coffee stop, preferably with some outside seating, would be a ‘magnificent little improvement’ to Perth city.

“Lots of people walk across that bridge every morning,” he added, saying people would welcome a refreshment spot as they made their way to work, town or home.

Ambition for Perth

Calling on City councillors to move with greater pace and willingness, and to have progress ‘at their heart’, he nevertheless expressed disappointment that another high-profile investment in the city had not turned out as initially hoped.

Perthshire Business News revealed in April Mr Webb’s plan to turn two connected listed sites on the junction of Tay Street and George Street into desirable player accommodation for St Johnstone which would house flats, a gym, common areas and a basement public bar

However, Mr Webb stated those plans have had to be reviewed due to new fire safety regulations which would make costs prohibitive for creating accommodation suites in the listed properties for staff and players.

Saints in the Community will now move in, at the George Street entrance, shortly, with the Tay Street side to be re-marketed soon as a lease for functioning office space.

Colourful journey

Mr Webb told around 50 local business people at the Abernethy Joinery Suite in McDiarmid Park, that he had ‘learned some valuable lessons’ from the property ventures so far but that he had a ‘fail forward’ approach to business and life.

In a fascinating talk, he spoke of his life and commercial journey in the States, growing up in a ‘broke’ family before going to Harvard then Law School in Athens, Georgia.

Prior to investing in Cambridge United FC and then St Johnstone FC, he described how his legal operations had developed a niche in securing sought-after advertising billboard space for businesses.

Later, partners earned their place ‘on the map’ for fighting class actions against some of America’s biggest banks on behalf of customers being charged inflated overdraft fees.