Thursday, 30 June 2011

BUILDING THE WELLGATE CENTRE - 70'S

The top photo shows us how the council reached the decision to grant planning permission for the Wellgate Centre - as you can see, it was based on their observation that the building was "sympathetic to its surroundings", a phrase town planners like to spout!
So it's the mid 70's and the construction work is in full flow - just like the contractors champagne!
Photos by DC Thomson.
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10 comments:

  1. Anonymous30 June 2011 at 03:07

    I took lots of pics of the Wellgate being demolished, Tayside House being built... and my mum chucked them all out when we moved house!

    "They're only photies," she said "You can do more."

    Arrrggghhhh

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  2. Marky30 June 2011 at 04:03

    funny, the most familiar landmark in the second photo, for me, is the strange outcrop of rock visible in the Tay. We always thought it looked like the conning tower of a submarine breaking the surface.

    Anyway — boo to the 'new' Wellgate. A pink monstrosity.

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  3. Anonymous30 June 2011 at 06:56

    Around 1974/5 I used to park on the bomb site that was left when the old Wellgate was demolished. I can clearly remember that the mosaic doorstep of Boots the chemist was left embedded whilst all around was mud.
    Somehow the Wellgate centre struggles on but if T.J.Hughes shuts it will be a big space to fill.Please not another charity shop though!

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  4. Stu30 June 2011 at 12:03

    Absolutley shcking the abuse that passed for city planning in Dundee.

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  5. Anonymous30 June 2011 at 13:20

    My uncle used to say that the city council in Dundee caused more damage than the Luftwaffe ever managed

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  6. Alex Dewars30 June 2011 at 14:16

    Ive only ever seen the wellgate centre there in my lifetime, but having seen the photos on this site of the old wellgate this makes me weep.

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  7. Neale E30 June 2011 at 16:13

    Yes, the Wellgate Centre was linked to civic corruption and designed by the same firm of architects who came up with the Derby Street multis, Olympia and Tayside House.

    But aren't Dundonians just a wee bit fond of it? Demolish the Wellgate Centre tomorrow and you can guarantee the 'Retro Retro Dundee' of 20 years hence will be full of nostalgic comments bemoaning its demise!

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  8. Anonymous30 June 2011 at 23:38

    My mum and dad and then my older brother with his wife were married in St Andrews church. My brother was also christened there....happy memories for my family.....

    Loved the old wellgate area though...shame it got pulled doon!

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  9. Stu1 July 2011 at 09:39

    Some might get nostalgic for the Wellgate centre Neale but im sure renovating the existing wellgate would have been cheaper and had longer lasting merit.

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  10. Anonymous7 August 2015 at 16:28

    The old Wellgate holds so many memories in my heart. It was an image of Dundee as it was, and could have stayed. The big stores have since moved out of the modern Wellgate centre to larger and more efficient out of town sites. The Wellgate Steps with all their history will, hopefully survive another few decades. When you look through the photos of the old Wellgate. ..that was the heart of Dundee, and we stood by while the planners and bulldozers ripped it apart.

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