Occupants of the Keiller Centre in Dundee say they will keep “fighting tooth and nail” for its future after it was branded “low quality” in a new report.
The paper, commissioned by Dundee City Council as part of the Dundee Development Scheme 2023, reviews the local authority’s current policies on retailing alongside existing provision and future opportunities.
The report was carried out by consultants Roderick MacLean Associates, and Ryden. It will go before councillors on Monday.
While it highlights “green shoots” of recovery across the city, it notes the city centre’s vacancy rate remains at 17%, higher than the Scottish average of 15.7%.
And although fairly optimistic about Frasers Group’s recent acquisition of the Overgate, the ongoing Waterfront redevelopment and the Eden Project, there is less enthusiasm for two once iconic shopping centres.
The report says Wellgate faces an “uncertain future” as a shopping centre, while the Keiller is described as “predominately shuttered down”.
It describes the building as “low quality, poor format and in our view, unlikely to be capable of accommodating significant retailing in the longer term without redevelopment.”
Pledge to make Keiller Centre ‘great again’
The report comes 18 months after gallery owner Kathryn Rattray took over the running of the Keiller under the name of The Federation.
She vowed to make the centre great again.
Among her plans has been to use the centre as a non-commercial gallery with the aim of generating footfall and interest in art.
In response to the report, Kathryn said: “Like many people in our city, we wish to see the high street become a busy and bustling place again.
“With that in mind, The Keiller Centre is on a mission to revive the city’s high street with experiential culture.
“Experiential culture is all about providing visitors with unique and engaging experiences.
“It’s about more than just shopping or eating out; it’s about creating memories that will last a lifetime.
“The Keiller Centre is perfectly positioned to be a leader in experiential culture. It’s located in the heart of the city, and it has a variety of spaces that can be used for events and exhibitions.
“The Keiller Centre already offers a range of experiences, including an art gallery, board game cafe, knitting group, zine making, and photography workshops.
“These experiences help to attract new visitors to the city, create jobs, and boost the local economy”
Investment required in Keiller Centre
However, she said there is a need for “serious conversations” about investment in the centre’s infrastructure.
She said: “Investment would fundamentally change the landscape of the centre and help to drive forward the re-imagining of the high street.
“I feel very passionate about the power of imagination and inspired thinking to shift the focus from the ‘death’ of the high street to the ‘birth’ of a community-led high street for all.
Laura Stevenson is one of the newest Keiller Centre tenants. She opened board game cafe Cake or Dice in June.
On the claim of the building being of “low quality”, she said: “I think that would be fair. It needs to be brought up to code of the standard of the Overgate.
“I think people don’t know it’s still here.
“Like a lot of shopping centres, it’s not shiny and new anymore. It’s not like the Overgate with the big atriums.
“So it’s kind of just languished a little and we’re fighting tooth and nail to bring it back and we’ll keep fighting tooth and nail to bring it back.”
The 43-year-old added that people want to support local businesses.
“I would say to the council that they could turn this into somewhere for the community that’s not a big brand buying over a chunk of Dundee,” she said.
“It’s a generational shift. We want to reuse things; we want to reduce the amount of carbon footprint we have. We want to be shopping local.”
Conversation