For the past 26 years, charity boss Neil Ellis has dreamed of creating a community centre for the people of Stobswell.
He has seen the poverty and lack of facilities on offer and attempted to combat this through his Boomerang charity.
It has proved a huge success, helping more than 400 people a week from toddlers to pensioners, but he has always wanted more.
Now his dream will become a reality, with a £1 investment enough to secure the former Kemback Street adult resource centre from Dundee City Council in its first ever community asset transfer.
It will become home to the Boomerang charity and its lunch clubs, cafes and groups and will expand to create a real community hub.
Speaking to The Courier, Mr Ellis said he was “delighted” with the news and is now looking forward to the future.
“I have been working towards this moment ever since I came to the area 26 years ago and am absolutely delighted that the building has been awarded to us,” he said.
“Stobswell is one of the few areas in Dundee not to have its own community centre and I’ve long wanted to create one.
“The Kemback Street centre is a fantastic space and it offers us a blank canvas that we will use to expand the range of services we provide and enhance those we already offer.
“The timing is very fortunate as we are currently at capacity and have been for a long time and were about to lose one of the halls we use, which could have affected our services for toddlers and the elderly.
“We’ll move into the centre bit by bit over the next few months so that there is no disruption to what we do for the community.”
Mr Ellis said there was a real need for low-cost, all-ages services in the area, as organisations such as his bid to combat poverty.
“Almost everything at Boomerang costs £1, including our lunch club for kids which we arranged so that we know local youngsters are getting at least one good meal every day,” he said.
“With the move to the Kemback Street centre we’ll be able to do so much more and we are particularly keen to expand on the services we provide to toddlers and families.”
The Kemback Street centre has had a chequered history, closing its doors in December 2013 after the community admitted defeat in a long battle to keep it open.
While that decision came as a blow, new hope came in the form of a promise to offer the building as part of a community transfer to a worthy project.
A number indicated their interest following a series of public meetings, with Boomerang eventually chosen.