£500,000 cash boost to breathe new life into historic Dundee building
Museum of transport to be housed at former tram depot in Dundee
Dundee Museum of Transport’s been handed a £500,000 cash boost that will help breathe life into one of the city’s most historic buildings.
The cash is to be used to help transform the former Maryfield tram depot into a new home for the museum’s exhibits.
In the early 1900s the B-Listed red brick building housed the city’s trams, part of a popular network that operated for 79 years.
After the last tram left the building in 1956, Maryfield became home to a fleet of buses, cementing its position as an important part of the city’s industrial and social heritage.
The building has stood empty in recent years, falling into disrepair, but has now been bought by Dundee Museum of Transport.
The funding from Historic Environment Scotland will help them to make the repairs needed to make it a permanent home for their collections.
Martin Fairley, Head of Grants at Historic Environment Scotland, said,
“We received some very strong applications for the latest round of funding, and are pleased to be able to support urgently needed repairs in these seven buildings. The projects chosen to receive funding range in scale from boathouses to town halls, as well as the former Maryfield Tram Depot. Dundee Museum of Transport have developed a clear and pragmatic business plan for renovating the building, and it’s clear they have strong support locally as well as from funders like HLF. It’s great to see a project which has such a high level of community interest, and I’m looking forward to seeing the museum in its new home.”
The money is awarded as part of Historic Environment Scotland’s Building Repair Grants scheme, which supports repair work to buildings of historic or architectural interest.
Dundee Museum of Transport’s Chairman, Jimmy McDonell said,
“We are delighted that Historic Environment Scotland is contributing significantly towards the vital repairs required to the Maryfield Tram Depot. This is a crucial scheme in our development plan towards transforming the B-listed building into a modern transport museum fit for the future. Our mission as a Trust is to preserve and enhance our rich transport heritage for generations to come, and this grant is a significant step in achieving that goal. With the predicted influx of visitors set to descend on Dundee in the months and years ahead, a result of the ongoing investment in the city and its Waterfront, we believe that Dundee Museum of Transport has an important role to play. Not only will it be a fantastic, engaging and accessible tourist attraction for the city, but a place in which we can spark fresh interest in Dundee’s heritage, and re-ignite memories of days gone by.”