Dundee’s Waterfront regeneration took another step forward this December as work began on a new £26 million development at Site 6.
The six-storey office block, which will be named James Thomson House after the late city architect, will also include a roof top terrace when completed.
It’s the latest development in the £1.6 billion transformation of the city’s waterfront area, which began back in 2001 as part of a 30 year plan.
But what has changed so far and what else is expected to come?
Story so far
The £15 million Malmaison hotel opened at Whitehall Crescent in 2014.
In 2016, the late Queen and the Duke Of Edinburgh officially opened Slessor Gardens.
The Riverside Drive walkway was upgraded as part of flood protection works in early 2018
And Scotland’s first-ever ‘urban aqua park’ opened at City Quay in summer 2018.
Dundee railway station also reopened in summer 2018 in after a £28m revamp.
A 3D festival heralded the opening of the £80m V&A Dundee museum in September 2018.
The Earl Grey building at site 6 was built opposite the V&A in 2019. Now called Agnes Husband House, it’s home to Social Security Scotland.
Dundee City Arcade underneath the Caird Hall was also transformed into two restaurants – Brasserie Ecosse and St Andrews Brewing Company – in 2019.
Brasserie Ecosse, however, has since closed and the venue is now being marketed by Dundee City Council with a price tag of £40,000 per year in rent.
In October 2021, a 35-metre by 18-metre whale sculpture arrived at the waterfront.
The £134,750 art piece was installed at Waterfront place, which is also now home to an active travel hub building for cyclists and an interactive children’s play park.
What’s next on the agenda?
Work began on a new £26 million office block at Site 6, next to the headquarters of Social Security Scotland, in December.
Approval for the development was given by Dundee City Council late 2022 and it’s planned construction will be completed by 2025.
The much coveted Dundee Eden Project also took a step forward in December 2023, with a full planning application submitted to Dundee City Council.
The £130 million project is being built on the former gasworks on East Dock Street and is hoped to be open by the end of 2026.
Also unveiled this year were plans to secure the future of the historic HMS Unicorn by moving it to East Graving Dock from its current location at City Quay.
The £26 million proposal – dubbed Project Safe Haven – will also see the nearly 200 year-old ship – become the centre piece of the new Dundee Maritime Heritage Centre.
But plans for a 4,000 seater esports arena have taken a slight turn.
The proposal – first unveiled in 2020 – would’ve seen the area developed on sites 10 and 11, between Slessor Gardens and the Apex Hotel.
However a new vision for a smaller, 1,000-seater arena which would focus on a variety of uses was revealed earlier this month.
It came as the man behind the strategy, Rob Proctor, said he feared a venue solely focusing on esports had the potential to be a “white elephant”.
What’s up in the air?
Site 12, immediately to the west of the Tay Road Bridge, is under exclusivity and has been expected to be of mixed use nature, and may include commercial/office space.
But there has been no confirmation as to what exactly will be built on the site or when construction may begin.
It had also been hoped that funding and private sector investment would be found to develop marina facilities at City Quay’s Camperdown Dock and Victoria Dock.
CGI images were released in 2019 showing how the marina could look under the proposals but there has been no further updates since then.
Sties 2 and 5 at the central waterfront are also still being actively marketed by Dundee City Council as development opportunities.
Conversation