Confirmation the St Giles Centre will close this month is the culmination of a long decline for the Elgin High Street mall.
What was a bustling thoroughfare in the 1990s and 2000s has gradually dwindled over the following decades.
Today the St Giles Centre is literally only half full with exactly 50% of the units within it empty.
The closure decision was taken after Moray Council took legal action to recover a huge unpaid business rates bill reported to total between £600,000 and £750,000.
Centre owners St Giles Shopping Centre Holdings Ltd say the decision to shut was taken after debt collectors seized the income from the remaining tenants to recover the money.
However, they say rents had already declined due to the rising pressure from retail parks.
So, what happened to the St Giles Centre? This is everything we know about what has led to the closure.
Covid pandemic: St Giles Centre asks Moray Council for help
The St Giles Centre has blamed the rise of the Edgar Road retail parks for its declining number of tenants, which started well before the Covid pandemic.
However, it was during this period that the shopping centre, like many other businesses, faced intense financial pressures.
Moray Council says during this period “temporary solutions” were put in place to help the operators, assistance it says was available to other firms in similar situations.
After Covid: Unpaid business rates bill continues to rise
It is not known exactly what support was offered to the St Giles Centre, but it is understood it included some kind of relief on the vacant units.
What is known is that the size of its outstanding business rates bill continued to escalate over the coming years.
During this period maintenance in the St Giles Centre appears to reduce.
The lift remains out of order for several years, meaning those unable to use the escalators have to leave the building in order to move between the upper and lower floors.
When the lift is finally repaired in summer 2024, one of the escalators quickly becomes unusable. It remains out of commission today.
November 2024: Legal action launched against St Giles Centre
Councillors vote in private to launch legal action against the St Giles Centre to recover the outstanding business rates bill, which is now understood to total about £750,000.
It is not known why the bill was allowed to rise to that total or why it was decided to take action at this stage.
Officials say they had already “exhausted all reasonable avenues of support” but stress they have a legal obligation to collect the money.
Worries were raised about the impact of taking the decision during the peak Christmas trading period.
December 2024: Debt collectors send letters to St Giles Centre tenants
The Press and Journal understands that debt collectors Scott & Co sent letters to St Giles Centre tenants during this period.
Businesses were told in the notes that due to the unpaid bills, tenants should instead pay their rent directly to Moray Council as part of efforts to recover the money.
The move effectively seals the St Giles Centre’s fate by depriving it of its main source of income while leaving it with its own costs to cover.
January 6, 2025: Confirmation St Giles Centre will close
Letters are posted to St Giles Centre tenants informing them that due to “severe financial challenges”, the mall will close in two weeks.
The note from director David Cameron informs them he has been left with “no option” after rental income was seized.
Tenants are told they have until close of business on January 20 to remove their belongings from the shopping centre.
January 8, 2025: News breaks of looming closure
News breaks of the upcoming St Giles Centre closure with dozens of jobs on the line.
Some businesses begin the process of trying to find alternative accommodation within the town centre or elsewhere in Elgin.
Moray Chamber of Commerce appeals for landlords with vacant properties to come forward to provide assistance.
January 9, 2025: Talks on future of Elgin bus station
Stagecoach reveals it is in talks with Moray Council about finding an alternative location to operate from.
The transport operator leases part of the St Giles Centre for Elgin bus station.
January 20, 2025: Last day of St Giles Centre
Monday, January 20 is slated as being the final day of trading for businesses within the St Giles Centre.
However, due to the pressures of removing stock and equipment from the building, it is likely many businesses will have closed before this date.
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