City chiefs are being urged to form a taskforce to sort out the lower end of Union Street – after Marks and Spencer announced the closure of its St Nicholas Street shop in Aberdeen.
The retail giant is leaving Aberdeen’s high street early next year.
By then, £15 million will have been invested in doubling the size of the nearby Union Square M&S.
But it leaves the national chain looking for a new use for the St Nicholas Street premises it owns as it moves its staff to the shopping centre.
Soon after news of the closure was broken by The P&J, Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart called for a taskforce to be formed to help find the building a purpose.
“This closure will undoubtedly have ramifications for Union Street, the Bon Accord centre and wider city centre,” he warned.
In a letter to council co-leaders Christian Allard and Ian Yuill, the SNP MSP urged that a taskforce be formed with input from the Scottish Government.
Mr Stewart wants the taskforce to look at the wider east end of Union Street, not limited to the soon to be empty M&S.
A taskforce was launched in 2021 as John Lewis swiftly exited Aberdeen – but city chiefs were unable to convince the department store to maintain any north-east presence.
First Minister weighs in on taskforce idea
And Mr Stewart took the opportunity to press First Minister Humza Yousaf as to whether his government would serve in such a taskforce.
Speaking during First Minister’s Questions, Mr Yousaf said he would give the request “due consideration”.
More time to find new use for Marks and Spencer Aberdeen than previous retail heartbreaks
But with more time before Marks and Spencer makes its move, Lib Dem council co-leader Ian Yuill doesn’t think one is needed now.
He told The P&J: “There’s already the city centre masterplan and the council is already working with the public and private sector.
“This very sad closure of an iconic shop in our city centre will obviously play a huge part in our decisions on the city centre masterplan.
Admitting he was sat almost head-to-toe in clothing bought at the doomed shop, Mr Yuill added: “There is just over a year before the closure, and the opening of the expanded Union Square store.
“And the council will be working with M&S, the public sector and the Our Union Street campaign to find a use for the building.”
Marks and Spencer shift follows local and national trend
Marks and Spencer is just over the eastern limit of the first section of the Granite Mile to undergo a 21st century facelift.
Just across the road, where rival department store BHS once stood, a £40m food market complex is being built in the hope of bringing new life to the tired high street.
The Market Street to Bridge Street section is closed to most traffic, with only buses, taxis and bicycles allowed through the bus gates.
Despite the £30m revamp of Union Terrace Gardens, the once-bustling main shopping street remains quiet.
Could new Marks and Spencer Aberdeen occupant be given rates sweetener?
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have been calling for rates relief to draw businesses back to the Granite Mile.
As the “devastating blow” was announced, the party’s North East MSP Liam Kerr again made that demand.
“The Marks and Spencer Aberdeen closure will leave a huge void in the city centre just three years after we lost John Lewis and Debenhams,” he said.
“This building cannot be left to rot, and I will be seeking clarity from M&S on what it is doing to ensure this doesn’t happen.
“This decision will have drastic consequences for both Union Street and the two shopping centres next door, which is why I will continue to push the Scottish Government to introduce a 75% rates relief for businesses in the city.”
The SNP’s Mr Stewart also advocated for a cut in rates, though he’s pressing the SNP and Lib Dem led council to fund a smaller, more targeted, scheme themselves.
Urging all options be considered by the local authority, he suggested rates relief could “entice a new tenant or owner” to take on the soon to be sunk flagship.
Council co-leader: ‘Very much on M&S to find new use for Aberdeen store’
SNP council co-leader Christian Allard said: “Whatever you want to call it – a taskforce or not – we are working with M&S to find a use for the building.
“They have experience in this from doing it further south – when they own a building they look at what future it can have after it closes.
“Rates relief is always going to be part of conversations like this. But we have to be careful with competition with others in the area.
“It is very much going to be M&S driving the search for a new use for this building at this early stage”.
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