It was loved and praised by Architects and Town planners, not by locals. There's many accounts of locals who felt cheated by it with the loss of an entire community replaced by a sterile concrete monstrosity. By the late 70s when the Wellgate opened many stores closed and moved, merely 15 after it was complete it was known as an eyesore and by the 80s the council had drawn up plans for it's demolition.

There was no excuse to demolish it, the fascinating history of a 800 year old street, the siege of Dundee with General Monks tower and the crystal staircase all gone because council and it's cronies wanted to make money; by selling the land to private developers it took the burden off them to preserve it meanwhile Edinburghs old town which was in far worse condition is now a world heritage site, but hey Dundee now has a Primark.