Former Dundee jute mill with planning permission for 68 flats for sale

A historic Dundee jute mill that has planning permission to become a mix of homes and businesses is being marketed for sale.

Eagle Mills on Victoria Street is a Category B listed building that dates back to 1864.

Plans by Eagle Mill Capital to turn the 1.7 acre site into 68 homes date back to 2018.

For several years the building has displayed a large banner stating, “change is good, transformation is even better” but no work has taken place.

Plans for Eagle Mills

The Eagle Mills structure was extended in 1930, adding art deco elements to its design. The interior boasts iron-framed columns carrying brick arches.

It has planning permission for two phases of work.

The first phase focuses on converting the listed mill into 34 apartments, a nursery school, and a small café/bakery. There will also be commercial units and 31 parking spaces.

Phase two includes an L-shaped new-build block with 34 apartments, a commercial/retail unit, and 24 parking spaces.

Eagle Mills also features an extensive basement level, offering around 19,547 sq ft of potential commercial space with floor-to-ceiling heights of 7.5 metres. This could be used for vertical farming.

Why site is now for sale

Plans to turn Eagle Mills into 34 flats and commercial units date back to 2018.

Since then, owner Eagle Mill Capital bought the neighbouring site that housed Tayside Plumbing & Building Supplies.

The plans then expanded to include the entire site surrounded by Victoria Street, Dens Road, Lyon Street and Brown Constable Street.

It also took the total cost of the development from £3.5 million to £8m.

Eagle Mill Capital managing director Graham Giblen said: “The original intention was to gain planning permission and then carry out this exciting project ourselves.

“However, Covid came along, slowing everything down, including the planning process.

“That is now all in place, and we have altered our business strategy in the interim as I begin to plan for partial retirement.

“We are therefore marketing our larger projects whilst we concentrate on commercial leases and smaller sites.”

Jute mill history

Savills is marketing the development site.

Niall Macleod, director of Savills Development, said: “This is a unique opportunity to create something special on this historic site.”

Eagle Mills was built in 1864 to house the pattern shop for Baxter Brothers Foundry.

At its height the Baxter family business employed 5,000 people.

Commercial jute production in the city ended in the 1970s as Dundee’s jute trade had begun to decline.