ABERDEEN City Council has appointed Savills to seek expressions of interest from local, national, and international operators to manage and occupy a new Aberdeen Market, helping shape the future of Aberdeen city centre and create a world-class destination.
Aberdeen Market will be situated on the site of the former British Home Stores, which is being completely redeveloped to create a unique food market that will also form an iconic building and fabulous destination for eating, drinking, and hosting events along with attracting people into the area.
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Aberdeen Market will comprise a ground floor which extends out onto a newly-designed public realm spanning c.31,301 sq ft with three upper floors providing c.6,000 sq ft of additional accommodation. It will also provide a new and attractive pedestrian thoroughfare connecting the Bon Accord shopping centre and Union Street with Union Square shopping centre and the city’s bus and railway stations.
Stuart Moncur, head of national retail at Savills Edinburgh, said: “The redevelopment will be truly transformational not only for Union Street, but the entire city centre. The development will also link with Aberdeen City Centre Masterplan which includes proposals to fully pedestrianise this section of Union Street, in addition to the almost completed upgrade to Union Terrace Gardens, making this an outstanding opportunity for an operator to be a part of this incredible change to Aberdeen city centre.”
Aberdeen City Council city growth and resources convener Councillor Ryan Houghton, commented: “The new market has the potential to reshape the future of the city centre. The recent £20m award for the project from the UK Government Levelling Up Fund shows that others see the potential this investment can have to unlocking the city centre’s future as part of the £150m commitment to the regeneration of the city centre.
“These multi-million-pound projects will create a more vibrant and people-friendly city centre with a fantastic new feature in the new Aberdeen Market – exciting changes are happening in Aberdeen and they are a hugely ambitious statement of intent.
“The plans will not only act to heal the city from the economic damage inflicted by COVID-19 by breathing new life into our city centre, boosting job creation, and promoting a wealth of opportunities to allow businesses and traders to thrive.”
Aberdeen City Council Leader Councillor Jenny Laing, added: “As part of our regeneration programme for Aberdeen, we have committed £150m towards reshaping the city centre as a destination of choice and I am delighted that the new Aberdeen Market plays a major part in these changes.
“Union Street remains the beating heart of our city and the new Aberdeen Market connects it to Union Square shopping centre and the rail and bus stations as well as being a fantastic place to visit in its own right.
“These plans are only the beginning of a process that we envisage will turn Aberdeen into a city that not only residents of the north-east but indeed the whole of Scotland will be proud of.”