Aberdeen’s historic former Esslemont and Macintosh department store is to go under the hammer for a second time in two months.
It is hoped a buyer can finally be found for the iconic, empty buildings next week, after an unsuccessful attempt to sell last month.
The prominent 26-38 Union Street is being sold by Future Property Auctions, touting the potential to redevelop the mothballed high street landmark as flats.
Bidding for the “highly attractive” property starts at £356,000 – only a month after going to auction with a guide price of £250,000.
The entire city centre building previously sold for a whopping £6.24 million back in 2007.
What is included in the auction lot?
Should it sell, the successful bidder will take ownership of the upper floors, basement and part ground floor of the prestigious Union Street buildings.
It is estimated that the sale will include almost 40,000sq ft of floor space across the two former retail units.
The buildings are linked by a corridor on the third floor which goes over St Catherine’s Wynd.
Auctioneers claim the site has “huge potential” and suggest it could be suitable for up to 64 residential flats.
However, any plans to convert the former department store into apartments would have to be approved first.
Esslemont’s Bar and Restaurant, Mac’s Pizzeria and the Miller and Carter Steakhouse will not be included in the sale.
What happened to Esslemont and Macintosh?
Esslemont and Macintosh was once the go-to store for Aberdonians and was a city centre staple for 134 years.
The popular department store shut its doors for the final time in May 2007 after the company went into administration.
More than 100 jobs were lost as a result.
But there have been multiple redesigns of the city centre building since.
Aberdeen-based C&L Properties submitted ambitious plans to turn the former store into a 96-bedroom hotel a year after it closed.
Councillors approved the proposal but the project never came to fruition.
However, the same developers lodged another plan for the site in 2014 as a 98-bedroom hotel.
But again, work was never carried out and the plan was later dropped.
Five years later, the McGinty Group unveiled its plan to bring a bar, restaurant and pizzeria to the ground floor of the former shop.
The former Jamie’s Italian eatery was replaced by the Esslemont’s Bar and Restaurant that is still welcoming customers today.
The auction has been set for Thursday, May 2 and any potential bidders will have from 10am to 3pm to submit their best offers.
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