A north-east disability group has added its support to ambitious plans by oil tycoon Sir Ian Wood to give Aberdeen a new £140million civic heart.
Aberdeen Disability Consortium said Sir Ian and the team behind the City Square development – Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Forum – had shown “wonderful vision”.
A massive public consultation for the project, which would see Union Terrace Gardens raised to street level, is due to start on January 11.
Sir Ian, the Aberdeen-based millionaire and chairman of global oil services firm Wood Group, has pledged £50million of his own fortune for the scheme.
Last night consortium chairman Dave McDonald, who had one of his legs amputated, said it was a “nightmare” negotiating the stairs at the gardens.
He said: “Aberdeen is a great city that is extremely accessible for all. However I can say that I haven’t been down to the gardens too often.
“The stairs are a nightmare and I just would not chance going down them – it doesn’t seem worth it nowadays anyway with the gardens being so empty.”
Anne Anderson, who is blind and also a member of the consortium, added: “Something must be done. My dog Ember is absolutely fantastic at helping me around Aberdeen. However even he would struggle to negotiate his way down the maze of stairs to the gardens.
“My initial concern regarding any project was the fact that so much greenery would be destroyed.
“After attending a recent presentation about the plans for the gardens I realised that in fact the amount of greenery in the space could be matched or even doubled, depending on the outcome of the public consultation.”
Meanwhile, Aberdeen’s director of football Willie Miller has also pledged support to the project.
The former Dons footballer, who captained Aberdeen to European glory in 1983, said it was time the city started to “think big”.
“There is a place for everyone and everything in this project – culture and the arts, people with disabilities, shoppers wanting to get from Union Square to the Bon-Accord Centre, theatre-goers, people who just want to meet and relax in pleasant surroundings, young people and the elderly,” said Mr Miller.
Aberdeen golfer Richie Ramsay, who just clinched his first European tour title at the South African Open Championship, is also backing the scheme.
He said: “I have been to a lot of cities around the world and there is always a focal point with green space, such as in Madrid, New York and Edinburgh.
“There’s always a buzz about these places and to create this at Union Terrace would benefit Aberdeen.”
Forum chairman Tom Smith said: “Understanding and catering to the needs of all Aberdeen’s citizens is key to the outcome of the project, and it is important everybody has a say in what they would like to see in this civic space.”
A proposal by Aberdeen-based Peacock Visual Arts to build a £13million centre in the gardens already has planning permission, but its future was thrown into doubt after Sir Ian unveiled his vision for the Denburn valley last year.
The forum’s public consultation will last eight weeks.