Mystery surrounds the future of the forlorn Stack Leisure Park in Lochee, despite recent approval to demolish the former Odeon cinema.
Dundee City Council has just granted a building warrant to tear down the large unit in the north-western corner of the site.
TJ Morris Ltd, which purchased the park earlier this year from the administrators Zolfo Cooper, is refusing to comment on the demolition or its multi-million-pound vision for the area.
But at the weekend local councillor Tom Ferguson, who has long called for alternative uses for the beleaguered site, said he had heard ”strong rumours” about what is planned but would not elaborate further, only saying he would investigate the claims.
He told The Courier: ”I’m trying to get to the bottom of this and am perusing reports from the planning department for this at the moment. I need to find out if these rumours are correct.”
In March we revealed that TJ Morris, which owns the Home Bargains discount retail chain, had bought Stack Leisure Park. The park was previously owned by Landteam Northern but fell into administration in August 2008.
It is thought that the company wants to build a large Home Bargains outlet in the park as part of its redevelopment plan, giving a new lease of life to the site which has also seen the departure of Megabowl and Tesco, leaving just Gala Bingo.
Despite being approached on repeated occasions, a spokesman for TJ Morris said the firm had no comment to make.
Although the company’s intentions are unknown, city business leaders have largely welcomed the proposal to remove the former Odeon and voiced hope that it will lead to a timely economic boost for the area.
Alan Mitchell, chief executive at the Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce, said: ”It’s great to see there are plans to use land which is not currently in use. It will regenerate the area and create jobs, which can only be good news.”
Meanwhile, Graham Bradley, chairman of the North-east Scotland branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, agreed the redevelopment of the leisure park would help Lochee but warned there would be serious consequences for some local businesses.
”It will impact on businesses in the area, especially the discount retailers,” he said. ”But it will also hold benefits to Lochee High Street. Business attracts business, which is good, but there is no doubt it will have a detrimental effect to some.”