Building Briefs – October 23rd

• New occupiers secured for 9 George Square

Engineering design consultancy Stantec has taken the entire fifth floor on a ten-year lease, relocating from an office on West George Street following business expansion.

The Scottish Government has moved its skills body from a 4,809 sq ft suite on the ground floor to take full occupation of the seventh floor (6,871 sq ft). 

After a refurbishment project in 2015, the seventh floor accommodation has a bespoke specification with exposed building services and contemporary finishes.

The two lettings follow on from a number of other deals at the building in the last year, resulting in just two floors remaining available.

• Avison Young gives back to local communities in global Day of Giving

Three charities across Edinburgh and Glasgow are set to benefit as staff from Avison Young Scotland donate a day to support their work, as part of the firm’s sixth annual global Day of Giving.

Staff from Avison Young’s offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh will join local charities East Park, The Yard and CHAS (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland) for the day and work on a variety of projects for each organisation, including garden clearance, maintenance work and decorating.

The Yard also received a pro-bono valuation for a potential site from Avison Young’s valuation team.

Thousands of employees will participate in a full day of volunteering activities in approximately 100 Avison Young offices across the globe, in more than 80 community organisations.

The acquisition of GVA in February 2019 and other acquisitions, new office openings and hires completed during the past year, will make this the largest and most far-reaching global Day of Giving so far.

• Dundee plans £735,000 city centre investment

Plans for £735,000 of investment in Dundee city centre that could see additional seating, street improvements and more public art will be considered by councillors next week.

The money, from the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Fund initiative, will be complemented by the development of a new improvement plan for the area.

According to a report to be considered by the city development committee, since the 1990s long-term planning, strategic investment and creativity have delivered a range of projects in the city centre that have created a strong, high quality, regional centre.

The quality and potential of the city centre’s historic core and the businesses it supports have been boosted over that period by the development and regeneration of core buildings, streets and spaces, including the Overgate, Murraygate, City Square, Albert Square, Tay Square, Reform Street, High Street, Castle Street and Union Street.

Among the projects put forward for a share of the £735,000 is a move to introduce seating and green infrastructure to the carriageway at the south end of Reform Street. This would help change perceptions about the use of the area and encourage more food and drink businesses to occupy vacant ground floor premises. Additional drop kerb crossing points will also be introduced to the street to increase the level of accessibility.

Work to encourage more people to access City Square from the waterfront by introducing better signage for both Crichton Street steps and Castle Street pend as well as refurbishment work to improve its attractiveness and usability are also proposed.

In addition new bespoke seating is planned to replace the existing picnic benches and some of the perimeter planters in City Square. Other planters will be upgraded to improve their appearance. The new furniture will be designed to increase the seating capacity and to promote the City Square as a destination by reflecting Dundee’s City of Design status.

Other projects include more public art, local venue advertising and completing high quality street improvements in the Murraygate and Panmure Street. Extending these to streets beyond the core, such as King Street, Cowgate and St Andrew’s Street is also being considered.

The proposed improvement plan will identify priority projects which strengthen the city centre’s economic, environmental and social sustainability, including the development of key sites, public realm improvements, enhanced traffic management, further pedestrianisation, increased active travel infrastructure and air quality improvements.

• Bield housing development shortlisted as finalist for national awards

Bield’s Meadow Apartments development in Lenzie has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Inside Housing Development Awards 2019.

The development has been nominated as the ‘Best Older People’s Housing Development of up to 50 homes’.

The Meadow Apartments, developed in collaboration with Robertson Homes, offers 24 one and two-bedroom luxury apartments exclusively for shared ownership for over 50’s.

The Inside Housing Development Award Ceremony 2019 will be held on the 27th of November in London.