The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Multi-million facelift at Dundee eyesore will be major transformation
Abandoned, vandalised and ugly yet seen by thousands of motorists entering Dundee every day.
Now one of the city’s most hated buildings will get a multi-million pound facelift to attract new tenants.
Northshore House at Dundee Technology Park has been vacant since call centre firm Sitel left the city more than a decade ago.
It once housed 800 workers but had been left to deteriorate, not helped by frequent vandalism attacks.
As one of the most prominent buildings on the entranceway to Dundee its broken windows and graffiti have been a source of frequent frustration.
But now its Northern Irish owners have started work transforming it into modern office facilities.
Planning permission was secured last year by North Shore House Ltd to split the large premises into 12 offices.
Westport Property director Adam Hutcheson has described the plans to market the units for rent.
He said: “My clients purchased the building at auction, then spent a lengthy period reviewing their options and the market, as it improved in Dundee.
“There has been a full strip out of the former call centre. Walls, floors and ceilings have been carried out.
“New services installed at the site include three-phase power, high-speed broadband, water and drains.
“Internally, new dividing walls and kitchens and toilet blocks have been formed.
“Modern highspecification composite cladding will be erected to form the new outer skin, together with automatic vehicular access doors and glazed personnel doors.”
Mr Hutcheson noted the building will have “full CCTV coverage” and electric vehicle charge points.
He said there had been strong interest and that demand for this type of property in Dundee over the last three years had been “exceptional”.
“The building aims to accommodate the start-up and SME business sector, which is booming in Dundee,” he added.
“The owners hope the building will provide successful business incubator space, where young or new businesses can set up then grow and potentially move on to larger buildings.
“The position of this building has led to a positive reaction from the market, with lots of inquiries noted.”
The refurbishment will be completed this summer.
The building originally opened as a BT call centre in the late 1990s when it was known as Riverside House.
The neighbouring building in Luna Place is also being redeveloped by local firm Hutcheson Technologies.
Robin Presswood, executive director of city development, said: “Northshore House has been systematically vandalised over the years.
“As well as being a waste of a large building it was reputationally incredibly damaging for Dundee.
“We have spoken to the owners regularly, encouraged them, told them about the Dundee market and offered to help with marketing. The resurgence of Northshore is a key that opens many locks. It regenerates the park, creates opportunities for tenants and removes a problem building.”