The Dundee Western Gateway project has received a further boost with a closing date being put on bids for the third new village site.
Springfield Properties last week announced plans for a £150 million, 600-house development at South Gray which could also take in the neighbouring Swallow Village.
Both these sites are in private hands and significant interest has now been shown by developers in the third site at Liff South, owned by NHS Tayside.
Agents have put a closing date on offers so that the land can be sold.
Springfield is understood to be one of eight housebuilders which have expressed interest in Liff South, as managing director Sandy Adam last week said that his firm would like to develop all three sites.
It is facing competition for Liff South, raising the possibility that more than one developer may become involved in the overall three-village project.
The Western Gateway hailed by city development director Mike Galloway as being as important to Dundee as the waterfront redevelopment and the V&A had been on the drawing board for more thad a decade, without any serious interest from developers.
The issue became a bone of contention for Dundee City Council, with critics saying the whole concept of encouraging the city’s westward expansion was misconceived and that the authority should instead allow more houses to be built in the east.
Springfield’s arrival silenced the criticism and was warmly welcomed by Mr Galloway, who said at a meeting to launch the firm’s plans that he “liked their style”.
The company is holding a public consultation in January, when more details will be provided on the proposed layout of its village-type development and the houses it would build. Formal planning applications are likely to be lodged in the spring and the developer hopes the first houses can be ready by the start of 2015.
Springfield’s emergence on the Western Gateway had been a catalyst for other developers to come forward, according to Rettie & Co partner David Reid, who is acting for NHS Tayside.
It had “intensified interest” Mr Reid said, adding: “The interest shown in the NHS Tayside site at Liff South has been extremely positive, with eight interested parties likely to offer at closing.”