The company behind a £20million office development plan for the historic Triple Kirks site has tabled revised proposals to create student accommodation instead.
Dandara Ltd was due to complete its landmark office complex the Point this year, but now wants to build a high-end residential scheme for academics in the city centre.
The property firm believes council planners will look favourably upon the project, which fits with the Labour-led administration’s masterplan vision for more housing in the heart of the Aberdeen.
Dandara said the decision was driven by “market cycles” – a recognition of the fact that supply is now outstripping demand for commercial office space in the city.
There is a chronic shortage of student accommodation, however, something the company hopes the new development will ease.
Neil Young, commercial director at Dandara, said: “Changing The Point from a Grade A office to academic accommodation has been driven by market cycles.
“The commercial property market remains strong in Aberdeen and we continue to invest heavily in commercial development throughout the region.
“Within the city core however the dynamic has changed with a significant amount of office development under way.”
Dandara’s managing director Gavin Wyley added: “We envisage that The Point will become Aberdeen’s premier student accommodation, housing a number of live-study and overseas residents, helping address a well-documented shortfall of rooms.
“There are considerable changes to the way inner-city developments are being taken forward across the UK – there’s significant demand for high quality live-study accommodation and Aberdeen is no exception.
“Given Dandara’s considerable experience and expertise in city centre regeneration projects, our proposal would help bring full-time residents back to this prime central site, in line with council’s master-plan to provide a living city for everyone, with an emphasis on providing a broad mix of housing to the city centre.”
A proposal of application notice has been submitted to the city council, which will be followed by statutory public consultation process.
It is understood there will be several hundred apartments within the planned complex.
Dandara bought the derelict Triple Kirks site, which has lain vacant for a number of years, from the Stewart Milne Group. which had secured planning permission for an office development in 2011.
The office scheme was due to involve the retention of the historic spire at the A-listed former church, which was built in 1843 and is regarded as one of renowned city architect Archibald Simpson’s finest achievements.
A spokesman for Dandara said that further details of the new scheme would be worked out as the application works its way through the planning process.
Marie Boulton, deputy council leader, commented: “This would fit with our masterplan.
“I haven’t seen the planning application yet, but it sounds as if it would encourage more city centre living. When considering applications, we have to think about school allocation, but one particular group that does not need that are students. There is also a different ratio in terms of car parking provision for student developments.”
This fly-through video shows what the development had been planned to look like as offices:
