The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Robertson’ s at risk of collapse after fire
WARNING: Walls left standing are in a ‘dangerous condition’
The damage caused by the blaze at the former Robertson’s furniture store in Dundee is so extensive the remains of the building could collapse, a fire chief has warned.
Serge Kabamba, Blackness Road fire station’s commander, said there was virtually nothing left of the Art Deco building, pictured during the fire, except the four exterior walls.
With those showing “potential signs of collapse” he said it was likely the rest of the building would have to be demolished.
“Partitions and terminal flooring is no longer there, it is essentially just the four walls around the outside of the building that remain standing,” he said. “However, they are in a dangerous condition and are showing potential signs of collapse.”
Afire service boss working during the massive blaze at former Dundee furniture shop Robertson’s says the building’s remains could collapse due to extensive damage.
Serge Kabamba, Blackness Road fire station’s commander, said only the four outside walls remain, with every other part of the Art Deco building completely destroyed.
The blaze on Barrack Street started at around 6pm on Saturday and quickly tore through the former shop, which has been empty for a number of years.
At its peak, 50 firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.
Nobody was injured, but firefighters, including specialist teams, remained on the scene until yesterday afternoon.
Helping lead them was Mr Kabamba, who said demolition is likely as the remaining walls are showing “potential signs of collapse”.
He said: “The building itself has been completely destroyed by the fire.
“Partitions and terminal flooring is no longer there. It is essentially just the four walls around the outside of the building that remain standing.
“However, they are in a dangerous condition and are showing potential signs of collapse.”
He added the final decision on demolition will be made by Dundee City Council.
Mr Kabamba said it was one of the biggest fires in Dundee in recent years, but the public was never at risk.
“We were able to draw resources from across the area in order to ensure it was adequately staffed and fire cover ensured around the surrounding areas,” he said.
“It was one of the largest fires we’ve seen in Dundee in recent times.
“The building itself is standalone. That allowed us to focus on directly preventing any further fire spread using that distance.
“At no time were members of the public in any danger.
“The initial crews acted quickly to prevent anyone from entering the hazard area and the fire was extinguished as quickly as possible.”
On Sunday, police confirmed the fire is being treated as deliberate, saying officers are pursuing a number of potential leads.
Mr Kabamba said the exact cause of the blaze is not yet known, but the building has not previously been a target for firebugs.
He said: “The site itself hasn’t had a history of any deliberate fires being set and it has been relatively secure.
“However, it is a building that we were aware of being vacant and its size would also pose a significant risk if it was to go on fire.”
The Buildings at Risk register is now describing Willison House as “ruinous” following the blaze and has classed its risk as “high”.
This means there is “no immediate danger of collapse, but (its) condition is such that unless urgent remedial works are carried out, the building will sharply deteriorate”.
Willison House was built around 1934, having been designed by H Pierce Robbie.
Robertson’s furniture store opened in the building at 56 Barrack Street the same decade.
The firm sold items including sofas, beds, carpets, curtains and office furniture.
In 1994, the structure was given category B listing by Historic Scotland.
Robertson’s eventually closed in 2011 after the company fell into administration. Since then, the building has lain empty and its windows were recently boarded up.
There have been several attempts to revive the site in the years since Robertson’s closed.
In 2015, Dundee City Council received a proposal from property developer Structured House Group (SHG) to demolish Willison House and replace it with student accommodation, a restaurant and a cafe.
But in 2016, a campaign group with about 100 members was formed to save the listed facade, with hundreds of people signing a petition.
SHG went back to the drawing board and, in 2017, lodged proposals for a £20 million project to transform the building into two hotels and a licensed restaurant, this time maintaining the facade.
The project would have included the erection of a six-storey hotel with 115 bedrooms and a groundfloor restaurant.
A separate six-storey hotel with 100 bedrooms was also proposed.
Councillors approved those plans in March 2018 with predictions it would create more than 300 jobs.
Construction was expected to begin in July 2018, but it never took place and it remained disused.
The property was eventually put back up for sale in July 2021 and marketed as a “superb opportunity for an exceptional development”, with the suggestion it was ideal for student accommodation.
No details of a sale were ever confirmed, but in February this year, Edinburgh-based KR Developments became the latest firm to propose plans for the site, lodging an initial notice with the council about student housing plans.
However, full and detailed proposals had yet to come forward by the time of Saturday’s fire.
Asked by The Courier what the fire means for its student housing proposals, a spokesperson for KR Developments said: “Fortunately, there have been no reports of anyone having been injured.
“We’ve no idea at the moment what (the fire) means for our plans.”