The multi-million pound redevelopment of the Bell Street car park site into a green travel hub is expected to begin next spring.
Plans to transform the site of the ageing car park into a network of pedestrian and cycle corridors were first unveiled in April 2022.
In January it was confirmed Dundee City Council had been successful in its bid to the UK Government’s Levelling Up fund, securing £14 million to help make the project a reality.
And the redevelopment has taken another step forward in recent weeks, with councillors informed construction on the hub could begin as early as next spring.
At a meeting of the local authority’s city development committee held last month, councillors approved a £1.4m contract for pre-construction work on the Bell Street site.
Civil engineering firm McLaughlin and Harvey will be appointed to work with the council’s in-house designers to develop the overall design of the hub.
Committee members also heard the construction phase of the project is expected to start in spring next year and will take up to two years to complete.
What will the green space hub look like?
When completed, the project will see 350 electrical vehicle charging points, car share spaces, and an e-bike hire installed at the site.
The car parking capacity in Bell Street would also be reduced by around half.
Also included in the hub will be:
- Secure cycle storage and e-bike hire for residents and commuters.
- A solar and battery storage system on the upper floor to power a total of 300 electric vehicles.
- Improved cycle and walking infrastructure with better links to the city centre.
- A potential electric cargo bike depot.
- Adapted accessible charging facilities for 50 vehicles and subsidised parking for car club vehicles.
- An information point with live data to promote onward journeys.
Speaking about the project, Mark Flynn, convener of the city development committee, said: “This is an important part of our push for greater access to sustainable active travel options for more people in communities north of the city centre.
“When complete the green hub and spokes project will make a significant contribution towards our goal of creating a greener city made up of strong communities where people feel empowered and safe, and where we are tackling climate change to reach our target of net zero emissions by 2045.”
