A Warning from History - Tayside House is Being Torn Down

Tayside House is being torn down and its final few floors will soon disappear soon into a heap of rubble.

During a period when the demolition was proceeding at a very slow pace, Dundee's most unloved city centre office block appeared to be hanging on.

It's period of somewhat undignified and lingering demise is however now rapidly coming to a close and we can really believe that this blot on the landscape will be gone forever.

For City Councillors, it should however remain a warning from history. We must take great care when we are asked to grant planning permission for large scale and prominent structures like Tayside House at a gateway into the city because a mistake can lead to decades of negative impressions.

Demolition of Tayside House - Slowly Does It!

A number of constituents have asked me why Tayside House is taking so long to demolish. It seems ironic that the most unloved building in the city centre is having such a lingering last stand!

When Dundee House opened and Tayside House emptied, I had hoped that the City Council would have organised a public raffle with the winner given the honour of operating the demolition switch. I certainly would have bought a ticket for such an exciting prize.

Council staff advised that the proximity of Taysdie House to the Caird Hall and the railway tunnel running under Dock Street meant that a dramatic demolition was out of the question.

As a result, the method of demolition adopted has been slower and less dramatic and Safedem, the demolition contractor, is demonstrably living up to its name.

Later this year the Hilton, the Casino and the 'original' Olympia Swimming Pool will follow Tayside House. Once the are all demolished, the central Waterfront will be substantially cleared and ready for the VandA to rise like phoenix from the ashes. For the time being, roadworks will occasionally disrupt journeys to and from the city centre. In the end however, I trust constituents will accept that any delays and disruption will be worthwhile.