Dundee City Council wants to demolish a disused building at a city centre “gateway site” to clear the way for new development.
The two-storey building at 3 Trades Lane, opposite the Seagate bus station, was occupied by McLeish Fresh Foods until 2008.
Although it is next to the A-listed Watson’s Bond, it is reckoned to have no architectural or historical value and the council said it would prefer to see it knocked down rather than reused.
It is hoping to attract a mix of high-quality commercial and residential uses as part of its continuing efforts to regenerate the city centre.
A planning brief explains: “This site offers an opportunity to positively add to the built character of this area and contribute to the regeneration of the city centre.
“Within the last decade, development in the surrounding area of Trades Lane and Candle Lane has provided significant residential accommodation. However, the council wishes to promote a potential mix of uses by virtue of the location.
“There are high volumes of pedestrian and vehicular traffic passing this site, which suggests that non-residential uses on the ground and first floors of a new building would be appropriate in order to capitalise on the prominent location and to avoid privacy and air quality issues.
“The site offers an excellent opportunity to enhance the townscape qualities of this gateway site.
“It is anticipated that a standard form of city centre development, with commercial premises arranged in a double-height ground floor and with flats above, offers considerable scope to design a well-modelled and attractive new building.
“A building with solely commercial use could also be appropriate on the site.”
The council believes the site should be able to accommodate a wide range of retail uses such as speciality shopping, local shopping geared to the needs of city centre residents, financial institutions, food and drink, and even a hotel.
Planners want to see a high standard of architectural design in any proposed development, with innovative use of materials that blend with the surroundings to create a 21st Century townscape worthy of the city centre’s conservation area status.