The man behind the £1 billion redevelopment of Dundee’s waterfront has said the setting aside of political rivalries was vital to making a success of the project.
Mike Galloway, Dundee City Council’s director of city development, is overseeing the ambitious 30-year scheme, which includes the construction of the Kengo Kuma-designed V&A next to Discovery Point.
Construction on the exterior of the £80.1 million museum has now been completed with work taking place to finish the interior exhibition spaces ahead of its September 15 opening date.
Writing for online architectural journal Insider, Mr Galloway said the support given to the waterfront from all parties had been crucial to overcoming hurdles, such as the cost of the V&A rising from its original £45 million to £80.1 million.
He said: “All of the local politicians, from whatever party, have always supported the project. It has never been used as political football.
“That’s not to say they haven’t challenged it and asked searching questions, but when it came to local elections, each party was vying with each other on how much support they had for it.
“When it comes to projects like the V&A, everyone who supported it, the City Council, the Scottish Government, the UK Government, gets equal billing. We enforce that quite strictly.”
He said the spirit of cooperation had been evident at every stage of the process.
“A lot of people talk about partnership, but it’s really just organised warfare,” he added.
“There is something unique about the Dundee approach to partnership.
“It’s not imposed from above, it works at all levels, the people at the coalface get on with one another, here there isn’t the attempt to outdo one another.”
Although there has been recent controversy over an application for mixed-use development opposite the V&A that includes a hotel, offices and residential accommodation, Mr Galloway said the plans for the waterfront were sticking to the proposals originally backed by Dundonians during public consultation.
He said: “We spent 18 months consulting right across the city. At the time a lot of people told us that was too long.
“From that feedback we came up with our final draft masterplan, and then got that approved by 80% of respondents.
“People have come along in the years since and said ‘let’s move this building to here’ and we’ve said: no. We have a pact with the people of Dundee.”
Mr Galloway added that the waterfront project, which is due to be completed within the next 10 years, was about re-imagining Dundee, not just delivering an economic boost.
He said: “We were always determined this was not just a property project or an economic development project, it was always about place-making, about creating Dundee’s ‘front door’, making sure that the first impression you gave to visitors or investors was a powerfully positive one.”
