A nine-screen multiplex cinema and a new hotel are the cornerstones of a new £24 million plan to redevelop a major gap site in Dundee’s central waterfront zone.
Ayr-based Crucible Alba Group want to transform a long-vacant brownfield site at Greenmarket, directly to the south of Groucho’s music store.
The company said it expects to create 250 permanent jobs at the site in addition to a “significant” number of roles during the construction of the proposed Greenmarket Leisure Quarter.
It said construction could start in early 2019 if planning approval is granted.
The proposed development – which would front on to South Marketgait and extend almost to the car park for Dundee Science Centre and the rear entrance to DCA – also includes new restaurants and cafes, residential apartments and car parking.
Crucible Alba development director Michael Smart said negotiations are taking place with a number of potential operators for the planned commercial units within the development.
However, the project is at the very earliest stages of the formal planning process, with the developer just this week lodging a proposal of application notice with Dundee City Council for the site.
A public consultation event to showcase the plan is scheduled to take place at the Malmaison Hotel in Dundee on May 1, but Crucible Alba said it was not immediately in a position to release architect impression images of the proposed building.
The property developer and asset manager has previously completed a number of commercial projects including the redevelopment of a former abbatoir site in St Andrews’ Largo Road which is now a 65-bedroom Premier Inn hotel and M&S Simply Food unit.
Mr Smart said the Greenmarket site offered a “fantastic opportunity” for redevelopment and was the “final piece in the jigsaw” of reconnecting Dundee city centre with the central waterfront zone.
“The Greenmarket Leisure Quarter proposals create a leisure destination including a state-of-the-art nine screen cinema, restaurants and cafes, a hotel, residential accommodation and a public car park,” Mr Smart said.
“The plans complement Dundee City Council’s ambitions for the Dundee Waterfront regeneration and will provide an important link between the existing retail city centre offering and the Dundee Waterfront development including the new V&A Museum.”
He added: “Greenmarket Leisure Quarter is a fantastic opportunity to regenerate a long term vacant site; to extend the buzz of Dundee City Centre and put the final piece in the jigsaw connecting the city centre to the new Waterfront regeneration area.
“Discussions are ongoing with a number of big name cinema operators and restaurant companies and an announcement on these will be made shortly.”
Crucible Alba’s proposals are not the first to be brought forward for the Greenmarket gap site.
There have been proposals in the past – including for a major hotel development – but they have come to nothing.
