Music tuition in Dundee will continue unimpeded despite the intention to sell Bell Street Music Centre, council bosses have vowed.
Dundee City Council is set to list the four-floor music centre – which boasts a first-floor performance hall – for sale in the coming days.
The centre has been the city’s home of public music tuition for decades, with records showing its use as far back as the 1960s.
As recently as June the venue has been used for community concerts, such as that staged by the Help For Kids choir supported by the Evening Telegraph and Overgate.
However, the local authority has drawn up plans to sell the local facility, along with a number of other public buildings, in a bid to cut down on maintenance costs.
An advance notice touts the building as a “development opportunity” with a price tag of £250,000.
© DC Thomson
Bell Street Music Centre Dundee.
“The main building was originally designed as a church and has more recently been used as a music centre with the outstanding feature being the large performance hall at first floor level,” it reads.
A spokeswoman for Dundee City Council said: “The provision of music tuition will be unaffected by the sale of Bell Street Music Centre.
“Music tuition will continue at alternate sites throughout the city.”
The spokeswoman declined to elaborate on where these may be.
However, it is likely the council will look to harness the facilities in its newer school buildings under its 365 Schools initiative.
The Bell Street plan is part of the council’s “property rationalisation” scheme, drawn up to reduce its real estate footprint.
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Among the other buildings set for redundancy are Claverhouse Social Work Office, Dudhope Castle and a former Technology Park lab.
The costs of keeping surplus properties has contributed to a £3.5 million overspend in the council’s city development budget.
Earlier this week the Tele reported the council had sold and leased back its own HQ to a Canadian firm to balance its books.
Finance boss Greg Colgan’s latest financial assessment concludes: “Property rationalisation . . . will lead to properties being vacated thus generating revenue savings . . . and the possibility of a capital receipt from a sale of the asset.”
