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Council leaders claim ONLY option for Aberdeen’s old John Lewis would be costly demolition following calls to accept building as ‘gift’

Aberdeen council chiefs remain opposed to taking on the old John Lewis building, even as a "gift"
Council co-leader Ian Yuill says that taking on the old John Lewis would cost the council millions in demolition bills. Image: Roddie Reid/DCT Media

Aberdeen council chiefs say taking on the old John Lewis building would just leave them paying millions of pounds to knock it down.

We revealed on Saturday that the high street giant is considering “gifting” Norco House to the local authority.

Politicians campaigning for the handover said it would be a “gesture of good will” following the “devastating” closure last year.

And co-leader Ian Yuill has faced a backlash from opposition councillors since ruling out the idea at the weekend.

Today, the Liberal Democrat doubled down – telling the P&J that the “only” option for the George Street building is flattening it at huge public expense.

‘The only option would be to knock it down’

He said: “It makes absolutely no sense for the council to take on a building with such significant liabilities.

“It wouldn’t be free to the council when you consider the non-domestic rates bill that we would inherit.

“The only thing that could be done would be to knock it down, and that would cost millions.

“All this would require the council borrowing even more money.”

This aerial view shows the scale of the old John Lewis department store in Aberdeen.

SNP group now at odds with their own MSP?

Mr Yuill suggested a more fitting “gift” would be John Lewis paying to clear the site before handing it over.

Stressing that he was speaking for the ruling Lib Dem and SNP coalition, the co-leader has confirmed the SNP group’s official stance against an idea put forward by their own Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart.

It has been Mr Stewart pressing John Lewis into handing over the building.

SNP Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart has written to Aberdeen University, urging the principal to bring graduations back to King's. Picture by Kami Thomson/DCT Media.
SNP Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart has been asking John Lewis to give the building to the council. Image: Kami Thomson/DCT Media.

He said the gesture “could lead to quite transformational change in the heart of Aberdeen’s city centre”.

He told store chiefs: “And it would go some way in giving back to the people of Aberdeen.”

Row over whether council could gain from old Aberdeen John Lewis

And unrest is mounting among opposition councillors desperate to see the building once again become an asset to the city.

Former culture tsar Marie Boulton insists demolition is far from the “only” option.

And, listing other possible uses for Norco House, she told us the council should “absolutely” take the chance to secure the building for free.

She said: “If we could secure the purpose for the John Lewis building and John Lewis were prepared to ‘gift’ it to Aberdeen City Council, we absolutely should take it.”

John Lewis was the only department store left in Aberdeen at the time of its demise in 2021.

What uses could former department store have?

Ms Boulton’s “real hope” for the space is that John Lewis could be tempted to reopen the ground floor as a new Waitrose supermarket.

But other options she would encourage the council to explore would be speaking to Robert Gordon University about turning it into a base for Gray’s School of Art.

Ms Boulton stressed the potential benefits of linking with the Natural History Museum to display a treasure trove of artefacts already in the possession of Aberdeen University.

Efforts to land Natural History Museum attractions like this blue whale skeleton for Aberdeen’s old John Lewis have not gone swimmingly so far. Supplied by Shutterstock

Do you think the old building could serve a new purpose? Let us know in our comments section below


‘George Street really matters’

Sandra Macdonald, who leads Aberdeen’s Labour group, blasted the “premature” rejection of an offer not yet formally tabled.

She said: “The future of the George Street area matters, not just to those who live, work and have businesses there.

“George Street really matters to the city.

“It is premature for the administration to turn its back on a potential purchase without looking into what might be possible.”

She said leaving the empty building as a “blot on George Street” would be the “real mistake”.

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