The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Sleeping beauties
Hotels form major part of redevelopment plan
The V&A museum already makes a striking impression on the Dundee waterfront.
It is undoubtedly an iconic piece of architecture and will become an instantly-recognisable global landmark.
It certainly achieves all that was envisaged and underpins the game-changing regeneration of the Dundee waterfront.
The whole concept of creating a destination for business and tourists alike is becoming a reality and is providing the people of Dundee with a project to be exceptionally proud of, while also bringing a tremendous boost to the Tayside economy.
Dundee and Tayside have played a significant part in the growth of Robertson over many years.
The business has had a permanent presence in Dundee since 2005 and relocated to its current offices in 2015.
The opportunity to become involved in the waterfront development is another milestone for Robertson Tayside – a business that has delivered numerous projects across the city.
Being involved in the regeneration of the waterfront will allow us to be recognised in helping change the face of Dundee.
Our current involvement is on Site 6 of the masterplan, where we have just started building a mixed-use scheme that will provide a high-quality office development, a luxury hotel and a residential scheme.
This site sits adjacent to the V&A and will complement both the museum and Slessor Gardens.
Although it has been suggested that the scheme may not be a natural fit with the museum, both Kengo Kuma – the world-renowned architect of the V&A – and the leader of Dundee City Council have publicly stated that they are supportive of the project.
We started on site in January for the construction of the office development and anticipate completion in spring 2019.
This first phase was procured through Scape Group’s national major works framework and is being delivered by Robertson in partnership with Willmott Dixon.
We expect the hotel development will commence later in the year, providing additional high-quality hotel accommodation to support the increase in tourist numbers in Dundee.
This development will provide a significant boost to the local economy, bringing people into the centre of Dundee for both business and tourism.
We are determined to play our part in supporting the local economy.
Our social value team will continue its commitment to providing opportunities for local employment, using the local supply chain, raising awareness of training and career opportunities in the sectors that Robertson participates in, and engaging with as many young people as possible.
As chief executive of this large Scottish infrastructure and support services business, which has a strong, long-standing presence in the Tayside region, I am delighted and excited that we can play our part in creating the next chapter in Dundee’s history.