THURSDAY THOUGHTS - SQUARE VS. STREET

A week ago today the new shopping centre, Union Square, opened to a wave of excitement from the people of Aberdeen. What I would like to know is why? As far as I can tell this is another pointless addition to Aberdeen’s collection of mistakes.

This new centre may provide new job opportunities which we all know is needed after the controversial article ‘Big Issues or Big Fraud?’, but is it really worth alienating the dying Union Street? It wouldn’t be so bad if Union Square provided a diverse range of stores and restaurants but the fact remains, it does not. Duplicated shops include Next, WHSmith, Pizza Hut, TK Maxx, Marks & Spencer, H&M, AB10, Clarks, Boots, JD Sports, New Look, Fat Face, USC and Faith, this means that 48% of the filled units are a repetition of stores we already have, most of them located less than a mile from the centre. I understand some of them may be bigger and better but what’s going to happen to the old stores in the other centres and Union Street? Even the new ‘fashionable’ shops aren’t really providing anything fresh. As far as I can tell Macbooks and iPods are still available from John Lewis. With the restaurants Frankie & Benny’s and Chiquitos as well as a Cineworld now available in this shopping centre what’s going to happen to the facilities at the beach front? It wouldn’t be so bad if the building wasn’t such an eye sore, but that may be a topic for another Thursday Thought.

The only positive thing that I can say about the centre is that they didn’t manage to fuck up the interior, which is hardly difficult.

Surely Union Square wasn’t the most sustainable option available to the Aberdeen City Council. Rather than adding this bland monstrosity of a structure to the harbour side of the city, Union Street should have been revitalised by the pedestrinisation of the area, adding incentive for shops and cafes to open their doors giving the place much needed character. I have heard that plans have been approved for this to go ahead but it might just be too little too late. Obviously this would only work if it was done properly unlike the shoddy attempt at Belmont Street. I’m also pretty sure that the solid granite buildings that line Union Street will still be around long after this new structure has been redeveloped or demolished in years to come.

With the plans for Union Terrace Gardens being up in the air and Mr. Trump having his way with Balmedie I can’t help but worry about the future of the city. I’m not going to lose sleep over it but it’s a shame that the potential for a vibrant centre may be buggered.

Text by Ross King