Aberdeen is undergoing the biggest transformation in 200 years – with Union Street, the Green and the beach getting a multi-million-pound facelift.
Works to spruce up the city centre and the seafront has been on the go for months now amid hopes that they will draw thousands of visitors once they are completed.
There will be a brand new food and drink market called Flint, fresh polished pavements, more bike lanes and a fancy beach park eventually.
The stretch between Market Street and the St Nicholas kirkyard on Union Street will be the first to be done up – as workers plough on to (hopefully) finish it by spring 2026.
But as things stand now, all of the areas hoped to one day wow the crowds are still under construction, with hoardings sealing the works happening behind the scenes.
A year away from finally seeing the fruits of their labour, drone images by our photographer Kenny Elrick show how each of the projects are progressing.
What’s happening with the Union Street revamp?
One of the biggest transformations will be that of the city’s Granite Mile.
The central stretch of Union Street is the first to be done up, and the £20 million scheme will include widening the pavements and creating bike lanes.
Once all the ground works are completed, the high street will also be adorned with brand new bus shelters, planters and other decorative furniture.
This has been on the go since June 2024, and was expected to be completed by December 2025.
What progress has been made with the new market?
Simultaneously with Union Street, Morrison Construction – who have been tasked with the city centre rejuvenation – are working on the new market Flint.
The £40m venue will be erected at the city’s historic Green from the ground up following the demolition of the Aberdeen Market in 2022.
It will have two main entrances – one on Market Street and one at the former BHS department store, which will act as a link between Union Street and the Green.
Run by McGinty’s Group, Flint will be the first of its kind in the Granite City, boasting a choice of 10 vendors and stalls for artworks, jewellery and other crafts.
It will also have an outdoor area for events and seasonal “pop up” markets, as well as annual festivals, hoped to make it “an exhilarating entertainment destination”.
Flint is expected to open in 2027.
How about the transformation of Aberdeen beach?
Of all the ongoing revamp projects in the city, the transformation of the waterfront is perhaps the most ambitious one – and the most expensive ones.
The first stage of the facelift will cost £50m, and include a futuristic playpark with a seven-storey “rope factory”, an amphitheatre with an events field and canopy shelters.
Broadhill will also be upgraded with viewing platforms and extra benches, while new cycle lanes and paths will be created.
The promenade was supposed to undergo a major spruce-up too, with a new boardwalk and potentially a new Dons stadium created along the shores of the North Sea.
But this part was kicked into the long grass until council leaders find the cash for it.
So for now, we are sticking with the first part of the project which is said to be going “according to schedule” and will be completed by summer 2026.
You can find more on the Aberdeen revamp projects here.
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