Things could be looking up for Union Street, according to one expert drafted in to help fill empty upper floors.
Almost one in five units on the Granite Mile currently lie empty, while demand for office space has plummeted since the pandemic
This has left the upper floors of Union Street largely vacant, with some sprouting unsightly weeds as they descend into decay.
But when Iain Nicholson cranes his neck upwards while patrolling the street, he sees past the weeds.
Instead, Iain eyes up the opportunities these huge empty spaces present.
Regeneration gurus reckon that filling these upper storeys could be the key to transforming the city centre’s fortunes, bringing in more people and boosting the takings of embattled traders.
And they have turned to Iain, a nationally acclaimed high street expert, in their bid to bring back Union Street’s missing sparkle.
The 61-year-old has plenty experience when it comes to breathing new life into struggling town and city centres.
And he has spent the past few months working out how to turn around Union Street’s upper floors.
I managed to catch a chat with him on his latest visit to Aberdeen from his home in Oxford, where Iain revealed:
- ‘Oh crikey!’: His shocked reaction to some Granite Mile upper floors
- What this study has involved
- And why other towns and cities across the country are looking at the study with anticipation
Who is Iain Nicholson?
Aberdeen Inspired received £15,000 of government funding in January to find the key to bringing the Granite Mile’s upper floors back to life.
Using this cash, they’ve drafted in Iain – who is the founder of the Vacant Shops Academy.
He is a former BBC radio reporter, who has been working on boosting town and city centres since 2013.
So what exactly has he been up to over these past few months?
I stopped by Aberdeen Inspired’s office to find out about the project from the man himself.
Iain explained: “The focus of the upper floor study is to find out what the are barriers to getting under-used upper floors back into use.
“What are the projects that Aberdeen is already seeing, where are the examples of that happening, and what is there still do?
“We’re working through that as a process and one thing to emphasise is that this is isn’t just about empty buildings.”
He will also report any limitations that could hinder potential ideas for some.
He continued: “It’s also about those with a ground floor occupier, who may only be using one other floor for storage.
“They’re not being used to their full potential, and the focus is to see what can be done by working together to bring those back into use.
“Think of all the positive effects that would bring.”
Boots on the ground approach for high street champion
The final study is set to be completed next month. In preparation for this, Iain has been in the thick of it on Union Street.
Iain has flown up from his Oxfordshire base throughout the year to inspect various empty floors along the Granite Mile.
“You do a walk-around some of those upper floors and sometimes think ‘oh crikey, what a state this is in,” he admitted.
“But somewhere amongst all the people we have around the table, they’ll have an idea, they’ll have something they would like to try…
“We’re on this visit now, and we’ve been looking at some examples, meeting some more of the owners, architects and businesses who were working on the challenges.”
He continued: “We’ve spent a lot of time standing in a building thinking ‘what could you be, what’s the answer?’
“A lot of the buildings would have been houses at some point, so you still go in and feel like you’re in a house.
“The buildings will tell you a lot, and they will set limits on what you might be able to do.”
‘Towns across the country are looking at Aberdeen in anticipation’
As the study draws closer to being completed, the high street expert is excited for what could come from this project.
Iain smiles: “Speaking to those involved, what we’ve been hearing is really positive.”
Aberdeen is not alone when it comes to problems on the high street, and the feeling around the Union Street upper floors study is one of hope.
“Lots of places you walk around at dusk and nothing is happening,” Iain adds.
“No lights on, businesses not using it, no residential spaces, waste of spaces.
“And now, a lot of other places are in touch with us waiting to see what comes out of this… They’re wondering what they’ll be able to draw from Aberdeen’s experience.”
Iain hopes that, if he is able to help fill Aberdeen’s upper floors, the city will “become a beacon” for others to follow.
So what could happen to these upper floors?
Already, some plans are in the works for unused space along Union Street.
Student apartment plans at a stretch above the Amarone Italian restaurant were recently approved, while work is continuing on council flats next to Aberdeen Music Hall and another flats development nearby edges towards completion.
There are even plans for a pool hall to open up.
But Iain’s ambitions extend beyond that.
He continued: “We’ve talked about the face of retail changing.
“But we’re looking at a much longer list which includes arts and crafts, creative culture, community history and heritage, leisure, education and health.
“We’re looking at all of those and asking if they can play a part.”
Iain even suggested that the upper floors could be utilised for “some kind of museum presentation” or that “businesses could have a little art gallery alongside”.
‘We’ve got to do something positive about this’
Alongside Iain is Aberdeen Inspired chief executive Adrian Watson, who long fought for the funds to make this study a reality.
Adrian said: “It’s all about creating that captive footfall… We all understand that we have to transition away from retail.
“Any self-respecting large town and city is going through the challenges on the high street., and no-one has cracked it across the UK.
“That’s why we’ve taken a high street expert up, a fresh pair of eyes, to work with a very willing partnership with Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen Inspired, and Our Union Street.”
So what will success look like?
That may seem quite a simple answer. The upper floors of the Granite Mile being full.
But it’s not quite as straightforward as it seems.
Iain feels it’s key that Union Street has a vibrant mix of uses for its upper floors in the future.
He goes on to explain: “Residential and offices are clearly options, but what else could they be used for?
“The short answer as to what success will look like is more and more of those units being used.
“We want more and more of that, and then given all the pluses that will mean for the city centre, that will be a success.”
The study is expected to be wrapped up next month, so there isn’t long to go until the big reveal for the future of Union Street is unveiled.
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