The front gates of the St Giles Centre have been closed for the last time to bring to an end 34 years of the Elgin shopping mall.
Only Subway remained open for the last day while all other businesses focussed on packing up and moving out.
Tenants were given less than two weeks notice the mall was closing as Moray Council chased a £750,000 unpaid business rates bill.
Today the shopping centre closed to customers for the last time with the future of the huge High Street building unclear.
However, optimism remains high the St Giles Centre could still have a bright future in the hands of an eager and imaginative developer.
How last day of St Giles Centre unfolded
Subway was the only business trading in the St Giles Centre in the final hours before the closure.
Removal teams and staff remained in units including Waterstones, Ashers, Argos, Ramsdens and EE continuing the work packing up the remaining stock and equipment.
However, many other premises had already been completely cleared with O2, WH Smith and Gordon & MacPhail in darkness throughout the day.
While the centre was mainly full of removal teams early in the morning, members of the public began filtering through the mall towards lunchtime.
Some were continuing their lunchtime routine of getting a coffee or sandwich, some were making their regular way to the bus station to find their way home.
However, others were eager to walk through the St Giles Centre one last time to reminisce about good times in the shopping centre.
When Subway, which had long run out of bread, closed up shortly before 2pm. Announcements were made over the speaker system asking people to leave before security guards locked up for the final time.
‘St Giles Centre needs developer with imagination’
Elgin Bid manager Angela Norrie was among those who gathered at the High Street gates of the St Giles Centre to watch them being closed for the last time.
She stressed highlighting businesses elsewhere in the town centre would be critical in the coming weeks to maintain footfall.
She said: “I’m gutted, it’s a very sad day. What’s important for us now though is making sure we keep shouting about Elgin town centre.
“We know the High Street isn’t dead just from the lack of available space there is for the St Giles Centre businesses, we need to keep sharing that message though.
“What the St Giles Centre needs now is a developer with the imagination. Someone who can bring that extra something to it to turn it around and into something special for Elgin.
“I’m hopeful it will be an attractive proposition for someone who can work with the support of the local authority.”
Mrs Norrie explained Elgin Bid was continuing to receive offers of vacant units in the town for retailers but called for the support to continue.
She added: “They’re still coming through, but not quick enough. What we’re also finding is they’re not big enough for commercial retailers.
“Some of the national chains are already making decisions about Elgin, so it’s really important we get together as many options as possible to present to them.”
Removal costs mount up for Ashers Bakery
Ashers Bakery director George Asher was among those packing up the final items from the firm’s St Giles Centre units before the closure.
The businessman described the task of completely clearing out their equipment in less than two weeks as a “massive challenge”.
All the firm’s staff have been retained amidst hopes the baker’s will retain a second unit in Elgin alongside their site on the west end of the High Street.
Mr Asher said: “We’ve just had to get on with it, which is all you can do when you get given two weeks to get out.
“It’s been very expensive. There’s a whole cafe here that we’re not going to be able to remove, so there are a lot of extra costs and a lot of value lost. We’ve just had to do the best we can.
“There’s been a huge effort from staff, doing whatever has been required to help at short notice. It’s been a great team effort.”
‘Moray Council needs to be part of St Giles Centre future’
Moray MSP Richard Lochhead has paid tribute to the work being done by Elgin Bid and Moray Chamber of Commerce in support businesses affected by the St Giles Centre closure.
Mr Lochhead says “clarity” is now needed from the shopping centre owners about what will happen next with the prominent High Street building.
He said: “The centre is in a prime location in the heart of the town and everyone is wondering what happens next.
“I urge the owners to urgently engage with the community representatives as a matter of priority.
“We also need the Moray Council to step up to the plate and work with partners to do all it can to secure a the future for the St Giles site.
“Elgin has a bright future as a shopping centre and destination with the transition already underway and multi-million pound projects getting off the ground as part of the growth deal and other projects funded by the Scottish and UK Governments.”
Read more from Elgin
- St Giles tenants had debt collectors at their homes demanding they covered Elgin shopping centre’s £600k bill
- Well-known Elgin businessman believes St Giles Centre could thrive again under a new owner
- St Giles Centre firms face paying THOUSANDS in storage and removal fees as they search for new homes
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