When you think of shopping centres in Dundee, you probably think of the Overgate, or the Wellgate.
But there’s another – less notable – one, of course in the shape of the Keiller Centre.
There’s very left in the Keiller Centre to attract shoppers these days. And it is quite sad to see a once thriving centre decline in this way.
My own memories are of visiting when I was at secondary school.
We used to get a bus from Harris Academy to Commercial Street then a connecting bus back home and from time to time we went into the Keiller Centre to renew our bus passes.
Every single time, it was deserted.
But it wasn’t always like this. The Keiller Centre was bustling back in the 1970s when it opened, and when I asked my followers on Dundee Culture to share their memories of the centre, the responses came pouring in.
A lot of people loved the food there. There was a newsagents which sold novelty erasers. Some people remembered going to the Bakers’ Oven, or the pet shop. There was a “cheap as chips” green grocers. And shops like Betty White’s and Software House, the latter owned by DMA Design founder David Jones, are still remembered fondly.
It was a really interesting insight into what the Keiller Centre meant to people in Dundee before its fall from grace.
And it showed me there are plenty of people in Dundee who have warm memories of this place, and who would love to see it rise again.
Keiller Centre can adapt to fit the new Dundee
You might have read recently that the Keiller Centre is embarking on a revival.
NEoN Digital Arts want the centre to be put back into the hands of Dundonians, and is spreading the word in a new exhibition, which runs until March 4.
That’s what’s got me thinking about what the future of the Keiller Centre might look like.
And for me, that means moving away from shopping – leave that to the Wellgate and the Overgate – and focusing on Dundee’s newest and emerging industries instead.
Can the Keiller Centre be transformed into a vibrant new heart for Dundee’s City Centre?
For those in the city, come and have your say.
'Future Keiller Centre' Interactive Exhibition is open, Federation Gallery Keiller Centre Dundee, Monday-Saturday 10-4 – March 4th. pic.twitter.com/0Dm15ibpkw
— NEoN Digital Arts (@weareneon) February 23, 2023
We’ve already seen how this might work when the Dundee Design Festival made the Keiller Centre its base in 2019.
Why not re-invent it as a hub for creative start-ups in Dundee? A place for designers to work? A workspace for video game companies, or a games arcade?
Why not fill the space with shops, bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues? Why shouldn’t the Keiller Centre emulate Glasgow’s Ashton Lane or London’s Covent Garden?
Whatever the future holds for the centre, it is time we made our voices heard.
The Keiller Centre has a big place in the hearts of many Dundonians. And with a little effort, it can play a big part in the city’s future too.
Conversation