Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
£40m plans revealed for site at Waterfront
THE lead architect for the firm hoping to develop one of the most sought-after areas of the Waterfront has revealed the £40 million plans for the plot.
Alan Stark, lead architect for Cooper Cromar, was on hand at Discovery Point to discuss the proposed redevelopment of Site 6.
If planning consent is granted, Robertson Construction will turn the site into private flats, a high-end hotel and office space.
Alan, who has worked for Cooper Cromar for 28 years, said: “Today’s event is about putting a bit more ‘flesh on the bone’. The designs give people a chance to see what we have in mind.
“Being right across from the station and Slessor Gardens, and next to the V&A, it really is a peach of a site.”
Robertson was chosen in February as the preferred developer for flats, premium office space and a hotel.
The 67 flats will be aimed at the private rented sector, next to 50,000 sq ft of grade A office space and a 120-bedroom hotel — to be aimed at the upper end of the visitor market.
Alan said: “The ground-floor space in all the buildings is still up for grabs, and in such a fantastic, central location.
“We’d be hopeful that shops, restaurants, bars and cafes would snap those units up, and that they would give a bit of life to the area and ‘spill out’ into the open space at Slessor Gardens.
“The flats we have planned will be in a great position and the green space will provide a brilliant view.
“Being next to the V&A, I think the two would really complement each other.”
One member of the public who put the plans under more scrutiny than most of the visitors to Discovery Point was Richard Bowles.
Richard, 39, a trained architect, said: “The designs don’t show too much that is indicative of what the final buildings will be like.
“Also, £40m isn’t a huge amount of money for what is a very large site.
“It might be difficult to see how buildings of that quality of material could be built for that amount.”
However, Alan said: “The £40m is only the anticipated construction cost — that’s part of the process we are going through at present — but we are hopeful that the project will be manageable at that cost and to a very high quality.”
He added: “I think the Waterfront work is fantastic.
“Before, you had a bit of an unfriendly, messy view when you came into the city from that end.
“It’s great the public domain work has been done first and you see the other plots, and the V&A, being constructed around it.”