Planned by Crucible Alba Group, and unveiled in SCN last month, the new office will be at West Marketgait in the heart of the city centre, close to the waterfront and part of a £1 billion regeneration area.

Having initially mooted a £24 million leisure development made up of a nine-screen cinema complex, hotel and residential accommodation back in 2018, the Ayr-based property development company lodged a full planning application for an office, residential and retail project across two buildings.

Under the plans designed by HAUS Collective, the first 75,000sq/ft building will provide high-quality office accommodation as well as 100 employee and visitor bicycle parking provision, two commercial units fronting West Marketgait, external breakout spaces at ground and first floor with 20 car parking spaces. The residential building will house 16 apartments with 100% resident bicycle parking provision and two further commercial units fronting Nethergate and WestMarketgait.

When the building is complete, expected in late 2023, the state-of-the-art contact centre will be one of around 30 of BT’s new future-fit offices in the UK, developed as part of its ‘Better Workplace Programme’.

BT said the investment will help transform the way the company works, create efficiencies and enable it to better serve its customers. BT currently has an office at Ward Road in Dundee, where around 1,000 colleagues are based today, first opening in 1976. The new building will include what the designers have described as a ‘street landscape,’ with areas for colleagues to socialise while enjoying great views over Dundee and the River Tay.

John Alexander, leader of Dundee City Council, said: “Today’s announcement by BT is a huge vote of confidence in the city and in our plans for the future.

“It is clear that BT shares our vision for a Dundee that has a strong and sustainable economy providing jobs, retaining more graduates and making the city a magnet for new talent, while at the same time offering real choice and opportunity in a place that has tackled the root causes of social and economic exclusion.

“The company will be an integral part of that journey with us and I am delighted that BT sees Dundee as a good place to do business and recruit its present and future workforce.”

Jane Wood, BT Group Scotland director, said: “This is exciting news for my colleagues in Dundee and reflects BT’s continued investment in Scotland. As one of the largest employers in Tayside, we know that this investment will be welcomed by many people, not least my colleagues who will be based at this brilliantly designed new office.

“We’re pleased that Dundee, an iconic Scottish city, will remain home to nearly 1,000 frontline workers who help customers right across the UK, every day. My colleagues have done an amazing job ensuring that our customers have stayed connected during the Covid -19 pandemic, with some choosing to remain working on site, while other colleagues have chosen to work from home.

“We look forward to welcoming staff into our new building when it’s complete.”

Michael Smart at Crucible Developments added: “We are delighted to have secured BT as an occupier. The site is undoubtedly one of the best in Dundee and we are extremely proud of the building our team have created. We hope to commence construction as soon as possible and, once completed, the development will bring a prominent brownfield site back into use and further increase the vibrancy of Dundee city centre.”