Council leader defends slow uptake in office space leasing

The leader of Dundee City Council has defended a lack of private sector businesses lining up to lease waterfront office space.

John Alexander joined Shirley-Anne Somerville and David Wallace at Site 6.

The SNP city chief has come under fire from city businesses and political opponents for being unable to name private sector tenants in the flagship redevelopment project.

He said: “I’m not disappointed that we have 100% occupancy on the flagship office development on the waterfront. Absolutely not.”

He said detractors should remember the wider waterfront project is 15 years into a 30-year plan and there is a “whole series of other discussions going on in the background.”

He added: “This is not the finished article. This is not what it is going to look like in its final stage and there is much more to come. The key thing is remembering what was here 10 years ago. I’m old enough to remember what the city centre used to look like and it was a hideous monstrosity.

“What we’ve got here now is something that is creating a real opportunity for the city.

“It has already demonstrated it has created jobs and investment opportunities. There is no way an Eden or an e-gaming arena would have been interested had it not been for the ambition in the waterfront project.”

Labour city development spokesman councillor Richard McCready said he had “been told time and time again” waterfront investment “would lever in private sector tenants”.

He said: “Thus far there has been very little concrete evidence private sector tenants or investors will take up facilities or invest in the waterfront.”