A Dundee venue focusing on esports had the potential to be a “white elephant” according to the man developing a new strategy for a waterfront arena.
Initial plans, announced in 2020, were for a 4,000 seater arena specialising in esports – team competitions within computer games.
However, the new vision for the site neighbouring Slessor Gardens will focus on a venue for a variety of uses with around 1,000 seats.
The ballpark investment figure for the development, which now goes under the Dundee Arcadia banner, is £100 million.
New Dundee waterfront arena plans
One of the people intimately involved in the development is Rob Proctor, the former chief executive of one of the world’s best known esports venues, the HyperX arena in Las Vegas.
He is currently chief executive of Magic Box Zone, a company within the Chiltern Vital Group, which specialises in unique entertainment venues.
This year he has been revising the strategy, which retains many of the cutting edge tech elements of the initial plans.
He said: “Whilst esports are still a central pillar of what we plan to do, it would be fair to say we’re looking at a far more adaptable, multi-use facility.
“It will have around 1,000 seats instead of the 3,000 to 4,000 we looked at previously.
“This is really down to the esports ecosystem right now and the viability of filling 3,000 seats in Dundee.
“We want to develop a site which will be used for 12 to 16 hours every day instead of being a big gaping auditorium that’s maybe used once a month for an esports event.
“A key element will be its use as a concert venue using the latest technologies.”
MrBeast in Dundee?
This technology will include world-leading streaming capabilities. While the venue may only have 1,000 seats, thousands more could also be watching at the same time.
Mr Proctor said an example would be an audience of 600 virtual fans on the giant screen. He said breakthroughs to reduce streaming latency means they could interact with the artist on stage.
He gave an example of why a YouTube celebrity like MrBeast, who has more than 200 million social media followers, might be attracted to come to Dundee.
“If MrBeast came we’d have just 1,000 people into the auditorium. But perhaps a million followers would buy a virtual ticket for £10.
“It means the revenue potential that could be generated by the technology in the area would far outweigh a regular arena.
“We can scale the auditorium to hundreds of thousands depending on the size and reach of the talent but without the need to have a massive physical footprint to do it.
“We want to bring Dundee to the world but bring the world to Dundee at the same time.”
Other attractions within Dundee Arcadia development
Mr Proctor said that as well as the arena there would be a number of ancillary buildings.
The exact mix of these have yet to be determined. However, it could involve affordable housing or student accommodation.
He sees Abertay University as a key partner, with the possibility of educational facilities on site.
There will also be a variety of food and drink venues.
New concept art for the venue has been developed by architects Holmes Miller.
A feature being developed is for the glass frontage on the first-floor to be removable. This would allow bands to perform to outdoor crowds at neighbouring Slessor Gardens.
Next steps for Dundee Arcadia project
Mr Proctor said the group was in discussion with investors and a major construction company. However he said he could not give a definite timescale.
He said he was confident funding would be found for the project, which is yet to start the planning process.
He said: “The council have indicated they are enthusiastic about the mix of the project.
“It is a lot more holistic for Dundee rather than something for esports which had the potential to be a white elephant.
“In terms of ballpark costs, £100m wouldn’t be too far off the mark. Construction costs have skyrocketed in the last 24 months.
“We are confident we’ll be able to raise the capital required. The holistic approach, the mixed use, means we can have a number of different partners from different sectors.
“That opens up different avenues for funding.
“There is an urgency on our side to move this forward. We are genuinely excited about the opportunity.
“With the V&A there and the Eden Project coming in, we see ourselves as the third part of the regeneration of the waterfront.”
A spokesperson for Abertay University said: “We have recently engaged in positive discussions with city and project partners around the proposed arena development.
“We remain keen to collaborate on any linked education, research or innovation opportunities.”
A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “The council awaits confirmation from developers on how they intend to progress with plans for their project at this site.”
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