The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Dundee, city of office block culture
Sir, – I notice all has gone quiet regarding the £15m office block to be built just north of the V&A Museum in Dundee. This is an ominous sign from our city council, usually meaning: “Our will be done”. What better time to bury objections than the run up to Christmas? And then announcing the development will go ahead despite objections, further compounded by a refusal to make any further comments on the issue, is a sure-fire way of suppressing public opinion.
It would be interesting to know if there are any prospective tenants for this office block, which, in the city planner’s view, deserves prominence on our waterfront, just metres from the almostempty Caledonian House office block and the Nethergate Centre office block – neither of which actually reached their potential.
Only in Dundee could a car park, a supermarket and an unlimited number of hotels be seen as an improvement to a wonderful, natural waterfront site.
We have already seen how unsuccessful an office block in this vicinity is, with the demise of Tayside House, an office block costing several millions to demolish just recently, and which the city council eventually had to occupy to save embarrassment.
Add to this the decision reported just before Christmas (The Courier, December 15 2017) to demolish the City House office block above the Overgate mall.
As has been mentioned many times on The Courier Letters pages, the average Dundee resident can offer several examples of suitable office space which, despite being purposebuilt, lies empty. Yet, blindly, the city planners see fit to despoil even more the natural beauty of our waterfront.
Yes, I can just hear a tourist in the High Street or Nethergate asking the way to the worldrenowned V&A. Museum, and the Dundonian answering, “You go down this street, be very careful when you reach the gridlocked roads, then walk towards the river, past that empty office block and you will find the V&A there.” Arthur Gall. Pitalpin Court, Dundee.