Property developers in Glasgow, England and Hong Kong own some of the most prominent long-term vacant retail units in Dundee.
The buildings, which have previously housed brand names such as KFC and Toymaster and Turkish restaurant Antalia, have lain empty in the city centre for a total of nearly 14 years.
As part of investigation into who owns the long-term vacant retail units in Dundee, The Courier purchased eighteen property deeds to uncover the people and businesses behind the city’s empty shops.
The Courier has been tracking vacant retail units in Dundee city centre for almost a year.
Former Toymaster building at risk
The building which has been empty for the fourth longest time period in the city centre is the former Toymaster building at 13 – 17 Commercial Street.
The chain-store moved out of the unit 5.8 years ago, in May 2018, before the property was bought by Mahady Development Ltd in December of that year.
With a sole director named Alexander Shanks, Mahady Developments is based in Hereford and was formed in July 2018 – five months before it registered ownership of the Commercial Street unit.
On July 4 2023, the company faced being struck off and dissolved within two months with all assets passing to the Crown.
The threat was discontinued on August 1 of the same year.
Alexander Shanks contacted The Courier on April 26 to say he no longer owned the building, but he did not respond to the question of who he sold the property to or when.
The abandoned flats above the unit have been on the Buildings At Risk register since 2016.
When the property was last inspected by Historic Scotland eight years ago, the retail unit was still in use and therefore was not considered at risk.
Independents and chains both failed
One of the most prominent long-term vacant retail spaces in the city centre is 1A High Street.
The building has remained empty since Arabic restaurant Giza vacated the property in October 2019 just a few months after opening.
According to chartered surveyors Whitelaw Baikie Figes (WBF), the restaurant had taken out a 15 year lease on the building in November 2018 at £80,000 per annum while the building was for sale at £840,000.
It was bought in March 2022 by Lee Wenna Ltd, a Birmingham registered real estate company whose directors are listed as living in Hong Kong.
While Giza was an independent restaurant, the previous tenant was fast-food giant KFC.
The report by WBF says that KFC paid £125,000 per annum for the location on Dundee High Street.
In 2015, the owners of the fast-food branch were fined £3,200 after beetles and larvae were found on the floor of the kitchen and office areas, and flies were found at the front food servery area.
In 2022, the founder of Jimmy Chung’s Chinese buffet registered an interest into opening a new non-buffet Oriental restaurant at the unit but so far that has not come to fruition.
Lee Wenna Ltd could not be located for comment.
Redevelopment approved by council
Glasgow-based company Joup Property are the owners of 3 Whitehall Crescent whose most recent tenant was Turkish restaurant Antalia.
The property has been vacant for five years after the restaurant closed down in March 2019.
Joup Property registered ownership of the building, including the six-storey block above the former-restaurant, in February 2021.
In the November of that year, Dundee City Council approved plans for Joup Property to redevelop the block into flats while retaining the restaurant on the ground floor.
Architect Jon Frullani said it would be part of the continuing regeneration of the Dundee Waterfront area.
The redevelopment was mooted to begin in March 2022 and be completed by early 2023 but, so far, work does not appear to have begun.
Joup Property did not respond to a request for comment.
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