Six-storey student halls building planned for derelict nightclub site

The former site of nightlife spots including De Stihl's and Jumpin Jaks could be transformed into a 242-bed student residence.

Six-storey student halls building planned for derelict former Dundee nightclub site — Plans are set to go before the city council. LDRS

David Nicoll, Local Democracy Reporter

10th Nov 2022

Dundee councillors are set to discuss plans for construction of a six-storey student residence offering 242 bedrooms.

If the council’s planning committee greenlights the proposal, the halls of residence will be built on a derelict site on South Ward Road near the city centre.

The site was home to a series of nightclubs popular with Dundonians: De Stihl’s in the 1980s, Jumpin Jaks, then Okupa in the noughties.

Edinburgh-based KR Developments submitted the plans, who say work would begin on-site during 2023 with an estimated completion date in 2025.

If given the go-ahead, the property would be owned and operated by Chicago-based CA Ventures and managed by the company’s property management platform, Novel Student.

Demand for student housing within Dundee is high, a situation made worse by increasing numbers of undergraduates at St Andrews University also looking to rent in the city.

‘Site is shovel ready’

Speaking in advance of the committee meeting, Kevin Robertson, managing director of K R Developments said: “The beauty of the South Ward Road site is that it is already a cleared site, free of encumbrance with no need to deal with the complications of demolishing existing buildings or relocating existing businesses.

“It is to all intents and purposes “shovel ready” and can happen quickly”.

The council committee will meet online at 5pm, Monday.