THE future for Aberdeen’s former John Lewis store remains unclear, after Liberal Democrat council co-leader Ian Yuill appears to have sunk a campaign for the retailer to hand over the George Street premises due to “considerable costs”.
It has been headed by Aberdeen Central SNP MSP Kevin Stewart.
John Lewis is still considering what can be done with Norco House.
The department store was closed in August 2021, after operating in George Street since 1989.
It left questions about the future of the once-busy shopping thoroughfare – with council planners drawing up plans to steer it to recovery.
The site was used by NHS Grampian as a vaccination centre during the Covid pandemic.
And now John Lewis has indicated a greater willingness to think about gifting the store to the Granite City.
This comes after a renewed effort by SNP Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart.
In a letter to John Lewis chief operating officer Andy Murphy, he again had called for the building to be given to the city as a “gesture of goodwill”.
He said: “Since my initial request, I understand there has been little movement on the matter with ideas coming and going and no progression on the building’s future.
“John Lewis has a reputation, and rightfully so, for being a socially-responsible business with high ethical standards.
“That being said, clearly the decision to close the Aberdeen store was devastating for the city and my views on that closure are well known to you.
“Such a gesture could lead to quite transformational change in the heart of Aberdeen’s city centre if John Lewis were to take forward this proposal. And it would go some way in giving back to the people of Aberdeen.”
Mr Stewart’s SNP colleagues on the council ran on a manifesto pledge to work with NHS Grampian to “explore options for a city-centre health campus”.
During the election campaign, senior Aberdeen SNP figures were keen to look at John Lewis being that site.
Winning the largest share of seats, they formed an administration with the four Liberal Democrats and that promise became council policy.
But, since then, NHS Grampian has opted to develop a new £130million treatment centre at Foresterhill, chosen over Norco House.
The council is also in tentative talks about making the premises a north-east branch of the Natural History Museum.
But any plans for council involvement could be doomed on cost grounds.
Current business rates would generate a near-£225,000 a year bill for the owner of Norco House.
Mr Yuill told the P&J: “We understand this building currently has considerable costs attached to it.
“It does not make financial sense for Aberdeen’s taxpayers for the council to accept any building with substantial liabilities attached to it.”
