Shoppers in Elgin have been having their say about the future of the St Giles Centre after it emerged its future could be in doubt.
This month it was revealed Moray Council is chasing the owners over a £750,000 unpaid business rates bill.
It is understood the debt has been racked up over several years with the local authority “exhausting all reasonable avenues of support”.
Since the news emerged, social media users have been having their say on the future of the St Giles Centre and what should happen next.
What is the future of St Giles Centre?
Many of the conversations online have focussed on what locals would like to see inside the St Giles Centre in the future.
Data compiled by the Press and Journal in October this year revealed it was exactly 50% full, with 13 units occupied and 13 vacant.
And shoppers were not short of ideas on what they would like to see inside the available space.
Daniel Johnson wrote: “Make it fun. Put a good cinema in, good sized arcade, good food, climbing walls and day care.
“Turn it into a place to take kids because Elgin needs that.”
Kathy Doughty posted: “I’m surprised that it didn’t include a supermarket.”
Sammy-jo Christie suggested the vacant spaces could be used as a home for artists.
Mandy Campbell wrote: “Make it into a place where people from other places want to come to make it vibrant. Drop the rates.”
Love for Elgin shopping centre
Despite its current plight, many Elgin shoppers have shared fond memories of the St Giles Centre’s past – believing it can still have a bright future.
Many called on the escalator to be fixed or bemoaned the number of vacant units.
There were others who also remembered the glory days of the St Giles Centre.
What do you think should be inside the St Giles Centre? Let us know in the comments section below.
Denise Halpin posted: “Everyone saying it hasn’t changed seems to have short memories.
“The centre was once a thriving busy hub but sadly times have changed.
“Although the cost of rates are a contributing factor, we as a society have closed our high streets thanks to online shopping and supermarkets selling everything under one roof.”
Helen Mutch responded: “The High Street has never recovered since they built the retail parks on Edgar Road.
“Free parking and wide variety of shops. Did the powers really think we could have a busy High Street as well?”
Meanwhile, Jim Talbot had a more positive outlook for Elgin town centre.
He posted: “I live in Elgin and walk through the whole of the town two or three times each day.
“I can tell you it certainly isn’t dead and that there are more people walking the High Street since the pedestrianisation has been more strongly emphasised.”
Read more about the St Giles Centre
- A Highland property developer, a tobacco giant and a 125-year lease: Who owns the St Giles Centre?
- No shops, more than two years late and a bankrupt developer: The saga of how the St Giles Centre in Elgin finally opened
- Why St Giles Centre car park in Elgin has been partially closed for nearly three years
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