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Wellgate could be demolished as part of ambitious plans for Dundee city centre

What the Murraygate could look like if the Wellgate was knocked down
What the Murraygate could look like if the Wellgate was knocked down. Image: Dundee City Council.

Dundee City Council has revealed it is open to demolishing the Wellgate Shopping Centre as part of a long-term regeneration plan.

Completely tearing down the building is one of a number of options on the table in a new vision for the struggling city centre.

The shopping destination could also be refurbished or just partially demolished in the council’s ambitious 30-year vision.

The area around the centre could also be pedestrianised once again and forge better links with the Hilltown.

Named Dundee 2050: Our Vision for the Future, the document outlines how the council will tackle rapidly declining footfall and the devastating impact of shop closures such as Debenhams.

Designs ‘purely conceptual’

Design images, described as “purely conceptual” by the council, show a modern building where the Wellgate centre currently stands.

The document includes a number of other “case studies” alongside design images showing how different areas of the city centre could look if drastic changes were made.

The council has stressed the designs have only been produced to stimulate debate.

How the bottom of the Hilltown towards the Wellgate could look if it was demolished.
How the bottom of the Hilltown towards the Wellgate could look if it was demolished. Image: Dundee City Council.

The report states: “The Wellgate provides a significant, long-term, opportunity for the city centre.

“The council supports increased leisure uses within the centre, which, in combination with the central library’s function, could provide an alternative future for this asset.

“Retail trends are changing rapidly, and the owners will periodically review the viability of their retail assets.

“In the event that the centre owners wish in the longer term to consider a comprehensive redevelopment of the site, including refurbishment, partial or wholesale demolition, the council will work collaboratively to explore this.”

Wellgate purchase still not completed

It’s not clear what would happen to the centre’s iconic clock, which has enthralled children for decades with its nursery rhymes and colourful figures.

The Wellgate was purchased by Belgate Estates at auction last December for £1.4 million but the new owner is still waiting on the council confirming the transfer of the ground lease.

Belgate has previously described the Wellgate as “very much a long-term hold” and said it wants to attract more shoppers into the ailing centre.

The report adds: “The images shown in the plan are purely conceptual and are intended to help stimulate debate.

“Redevelopment of the site has the potential to address multiple issues with the building’s current use and its relationship to the surrounding
streets, buildings and spaces.

The Wellgate entrance from the Hilltown.
The Wellgate entrance from the Hilltown. Image: DC Thomson.

“By exploring the replacement of the existing building with city blocks akin to the city’s historic layout, we could re-establish key pedestrian links to the Hilltown, improve
permeability, incorporate and celebrate St Andrew’s Church, and
introduce a significant new mixed-use and residential quarter.

“The scale of the site would allow the inclusion of landscaping, courtyards and
amenity spaces to create an attractive setting for residences, greatly
supporting the plan’s goal of increasing residential density.”

Other case studies include making the East Port area a pedestrian gateway to the proposed Eden Project and making Bell Street car park a “sustainable transport hub”.

The plan also reveals the council would consider the demolition or refurbishment of the Keiller Centre, which is just a stone’s throw from the Wellgate.

The draft document has already been agreed by the council’s city development committee and forms the City Centre Strategic Investment Plan (CCSIP).

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