BT’s Dundee home takes shape
May 25, 2023
BT Group has marked a key milestone in the development of its new state-of-the-art home in Dundee, with a traditional ‘topping out’ ceremony as construction reached its highest point. Delegates gathered at the top of the five-storey site to commemorate the completion of the building’s rooftop.
The new multi-million pound contact centre, which once complete will be home to around 1,000 colleagues, forms part of Dundee’s £1bn regeneration area, and is located at West Marketgait, in the heart of the city centre, close to the waterfront.
The exterior of the building is due to be completed in September this year with the interior fit out of the building starting shortly thereafter. It is expected that it will officially open in 2024 and will provide a brand new working space for Dundee colleagues.
Once complete, the new Dundee office will be equipped with the latest state-of-the-art technology, feature a range of communal and collaborative spaces and areas for colleagues to socialise in as well as a games area and an in-house coffee shop.
The building will also be one of the most sustainable offices in the city with features like EV chargers and a brown roof that will self-vegetate from windblown and bird seed dispersal ensuring the buildings’ impact on the environment will be minimal. The office will also help to encourage active travel, supporting colleagues who chose to cycle to work with showers and clothes drying facilities.
BT Group’s commitment to Dundee as a long-term location was announced in 2020 as part of the company’s ‘Better Workplace Programme’ – the largest workplace improvement and consolidation scheme of its type ever undertaken in the UK. The five-year programme, which will be complete next year, is seeing the company rationalise hundreds of its offices across the UK and establish an estate of modern workspaces. The group is also undertaking a multi-million pound refurbishment of its flagship Glasgow office, situated on the Clydeside.
The investment will help transform the way BT Group works, create efficiencies and enable it to better serve its customers in Scotland and across the UK. Teams based in Dundee include those providing customer service support to consumer and small businesses.
Councillor John Alexander, Leader of Dundee City Council, said: “This is a huge investment and vote of confidence in our city and BT’s workforce here. It’s also another anchor tenant within our city centre, supporting the broader economy. I have been keenly following the progress of this building as it rises from what for so long was an undeveloped plot of land. The work that has been done in such a relatively short time has been great and it is real physical evidence of BT’s endorsement of Dundee as a good place to do business and recruit its present and future workforce.”
Brent Mathews, BT Group Property Director, added: “This milestone marks a key step forward in our journey of bringing our colleagues together in the heart of Dundee, by creating a state-of-the-art building in the city centre which our colleagues can be proud of. This investment highlights a significant and long-term commitment to Dundee as part of our Better Workplace Programme. We want to create an inspiring environment where our colleagues here will be able to deliver the best they can for our customers as we continue the vitally important work of keeping the country connected.”
Michael Smart, Director of Crucible Developments, said: “It’s great to bring together our partners in the development from LXi REIT, Dundee Council, BT and Ogilvie Construction. Good progress is being made with this market leading, excellent office, with handover to BT on target for late summer.”