The true scale of the way Aberdeen city centre could be transformed under Sir Ian Wood’s epic vision for a new civic heart can be revealed today.
Ambitious plans to change the face of Europe’s oil capital by raising the Denburn Valley to street level can be delivered within five years at a cost of up to £140million, engineering experts have found.
A detailed feasibility study into oil services tycoon Sir Ian Wood’s dream of decking over Union Terrace Gardens to create a new “people’s square” has been published by Scottish Enterprise today.
People would be able to walk from HM Theatre on Rosemount Viaduct, through a “green oasis” and civic heart, to Aberdeen’s train station without crossing a road, under the plans.
It would represent the most “significant and radical” change to the city centre since Union Street was built 200 years ago, the consultants said.
Hundreds of jobs would be created by the development, which would increase the area of public open space from the three-acre gardens, to a new six-acre square.
The scale of the scheme was compared in the study to London’s Trafalgar Square and to Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum as a potential attraction for international tourists.
Development body Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future (ACSEF) has considered the findings and unanimously agreed that the project should be progressed to the next stage.
Aberdeen City Council officials have recommended that councillors do the same next week, before 12 months of public consultation get under way.
In November last year, Sir Ian pledged £50million of his personal wealth to make the long-held vision become a reality, and provide the city with a legacy from the era of North Sea oil and gas.
The chairman of city-based oil services giant the Wood Group said he did not want the scheme to be billed as his project and that it was now up to the Aberdeen public to decide what they want.
“This is Aberdeen’s project,” Sir Ian said.
“This study is just outlining the potential of how we could transform the city centre. I was really quite pleasantly surprised by the scale.
“I do think this is in the same league as the building of Union Street and the Denburn Viaduct. This is probably the third in the league. It has really got to be looked at in this light.”
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond welcomed the findings of the study.
He said: “In difficult economic times it is even more important that we deliver on bold ideas and invest in infrastructure, and I support the leadership of ACSEF and Sir Ian Wood in driving this project forward through to the next phase of public consultation.”
Consultants Halliday Fraser Munro studied three options for a redevelopment of the Denburn Valley.
Only the first option, a full decking of the area, would qualify for Sir Ian’s £50million donation, and its total cost would be between £110million and £140million.
A park as big as the existing gardens would be created alongside a new civic square and plaza capable of hosting major events and gatherings, if the valley was fully raised.
Peacock Visual Arts’ new centre, which had been earmarked for the gardens, could be built on green space opposite HMT and Aberdeen Art Gallery, forming a cultural sector which would be linked to the city’s shopping district through its new civic heart.
Under the surface level, a new floor of some 70,000sq ft could be created for galleries and restaurants, which would link under Union Bridge to the car park of the Trinity shopping centre, the Green, the new Union Square shopping centre on Guild Street, and the city’s bus and train stations. Two levels of parking could be built below that level, providing 490 spaces and paving the way for the city council to demolish the existing Denburn car park and redevelop the site.
A second option would see the gardens raised to street level, but not covering the Denburn dual-carriageway and rail line, and therefore not linking to Belmont Street.
The cost of a partial decking was found to be similar to the first option, coming in at between £90million and £113million.
A third option for a £30million enhancement of the existing gardens would cost £30million, but ACSEF has only given the go-ahead for the first and second options to be progressed.
Council leader Kate Dean said: “What I have seen really shows that this is possible to make much better use of that space but still enjoy a green oasis in the city centre.
“It’s an exciting project and an exciting prospect for the city.”