Telephone House: Student accommodation progresses as £18m of work planned

Proposals to redevelop Dundee’s Telephone House into student accommodation have taken a step forward as £18m worth of work is planned.

In February Dundee City Council approved an application seeking permission to transform the BT building on Ward Road into student flats.

The telecom giant has occupied the office block since 1976 but will shortly be vacating as they move into new purpose-built office at West Marketgait.

The original plan was to create a 417-room development, however this has since been increased to 422 rooms.

A cinema, a gym with a yoga studio, study and game rooms, and a library are also included in the ambitious proposals.

Student accommodation company Mezzino, who already have three other sites in Dundee, will run the premises.

They hope to have Telephone House accommodation operational by September 2026.

Now, a building warrant application has been lodged with Dundee City Council outlining stage one of the redevelopment work.

This includes asbestos removal, the erection of a new courtyard extension, internal layout changes and structural alterations.

Windows on the upper levels will also all either be replaced or upgraded.

The total value of the work is listed as £18 million.

The student accommodation plan for Telephone House was first unveiled in October last year.

But it was met with a mixed reaction from people in the city, with some believing more needed to be done to address the wider housing crisis in Dundee.

However, others welcomed the proposals – arguing more student accommodation in the city would ease pressures on the private rental market.