Building Briefs – 23rd February

Staff and students have finally been welcomed in to the much-delayed Boroughmuir High School with the formal transfer of all resources and equipment from its historic B listed former home, which will now be transformed into 115 homes by CALA.

Built by contractors O’Hare and McGovern to designs by Allan Murray Architects the new school had been scheduled to open in August 2016..

With a capacity of 1,165 pupils the Fountainbridge school overlooks the Union Canal by way of a new public park and includes a rooftop games area as well as a full height atrium offering easy access to all classrooms, breakout spaces and facilities.

Demolition to get under way at historic site

A project to convert a historic Dundee waterfront office into apartments are set to get under way in the coming weeks.

The 100-year-old former DP&L Maritime building, in East Dock Street, has lain empty since the one-time shipping company moved to Dunsinane Industrial State.

Site owner Eco Homes, which took possession of the B-listed building from previous owner Stone Acre two years ago, now intends to convert the four-storey building’s existing offices into 10 new flats, with two office units on the ground floor.

In addition, newer buildings built to the rear will be demolished and replaced with a modern extension.

Demolition work is set to start on the site within the next two weeks.

Dundee City Council’s road report for the weeks ahead lists a 10-week closure for the adjacent Mary Ann Lane from its junction with South Marketgait for 52 metres — covering the length of the building and its extension.

The closure will take effect from March 5.

The conversion and demolition works will cost £500,000.

Plans to build new homes on Paisley hospital grounds move forward

Plans to build new homes on surplus land next to a psychiatric hospital in Paisley have moved forward.

A consortium of builders has been chosen for a development on lush grounds next to Dykebar Hospital in Paisley.

Cala Homes, Barratt and Bellway Homes will oversee the project and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has pledged to re-invest money from the sale into health services.

Tayside firms and suppliers can meet the buyers

Buyers from public bodies all over Tayside will gather in Dundee next week to meet businesses keen to bid for work.

The free Meet the Buyer event will be attended by major construction contractors including Robertson Construction, Hadden Group and Balfour Beatty Construction who are undertaking public sector contracts.

The event gives potential new suppliers the opportunity to talk informally about upcoming contracts, find out about tendering and the criteria for buying goods and services.

Lynne Short, convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee, said: “The aim of the event, at which contractors can just turn up without the need to register, is to introduce local firms and suppliers to the people involved in public sector procurement so that they can offer their help and guidance and we can get more local companies involved.”

Buying personnel from organisations including Angus, Dundee City, Fife and Perth & Kinross councils, NHS Tayside and universities will be at the Invercarse Hotel on Tuesday (February 27) between 10am and 2pm.

As well as free informal discussions which do not need to be booked there will also be short information sessions delivered throughout the day covering issues including support with the procurement process and understanding the public contracts Scotland website.

There will be breakout sessions with speakers from Public Contracts Scotland, Supplier Development Programme and local companies who have won contracts.

Rutherglen switch

TransCanada Turbines, a North American owned and managed engineering company, has relocated its operations from Cumbernauld to a business park at Rutherglen.

TCT, which employs 15 Scottish staff in repairs and maintenance of gas turbines for the oil and energy markets, has signed a pre-let with Glasgow-based developer Harris Finance.

It is taking a 13,000 sq ft speculatively built industrial unit at Rutherglen Links Business Park on a 10 year lease.

It sits within the development created by Clyde Gateway and will also contain a specialised training centre, the company’s largest outside Canada.