Work has begun to develop six-storey block

WORK on a new Dundee city centre apartment block appears to be finally under way – two-and-ahalf years after the plans were approved.

In November 2021, Dundee City Council gave the green light to plans to convert the six-storey block on the corner of Whitehall Crescent and Crichton Street into flats.

The block is above the former Mediterranean restaurant Antalia.

Under the plans, by Glasgow-based Joup Property Ltd, 13 twobedroom and one threebedroom apartments will be created across the five upper floors. It will also see the building given “modern brick cladding” to fit in with surrounding properties.

The restaurant unit will be retained on the ground floor of the property.

But despite the plans being approved by the local authority more than two years ago, by the start of this year work had yet to begin on the block.

And pictures taken by the Tele in February showed the site boarded up and covered in graffiti.

However, construction work now appears to have begun, with the windows stripped out and fencing set up.

There is no indication when the work will be completed.

Representatives of Joup did not respond to requests for comment.

The Crichton Street site has been subject to a number of applications over the years.

In 2016, plans were lodged by Assurance Developments Ltd to redevelop the location as a hotel, apartments and a rooftop restaurant.

However, a year later the same firm made a bid to convert the block into 27 homes with a roof terrace.

Neither of these came to fruition and in 2020, a fresh application was made by Jamal Property World to form 16 flats, a rooftop extension and a restaurant on the ground floor. A further plan, by Joup Ltd, was lodged in August 2021.

A building warrant application was also made in March seeking approval to fit out the ground floor into a cafe.