What Exactly Is In The City Centre Masterplan?

Today Aberdeen City Councillors unanimously approved the city centre masterplan.

So what's in it?

The Denburn Valley

Aberdeen City Council want:

• Union Terrace Gardens reconnected into the city centre, leading to a new city centre residential quarter around the Denburn Valley and Woolmanhill.

• New footbridge connection from Union Terrace to Belmont Street

• Former Woolmanhill hospital converted into hotel and apartments

• Denburn Health Centre and car park redeveloped to create a new residential quarter, set in the Denburn Valley.

Heart Of the City

Plans include:

• Removing cars from the central section of Union Street, remodelling the public realm to create space for business to spill out into a people friendly environment.

• Redevelopment of the market.

• Remodelling of the St. Nicholas Centre with a winter garden with views to Mither Kirk.

Queens Square

Plans include:

• A new, desirable city centre neighbourhood, in historic surroundings.

• Cafes and shops spill out onto pedestrian friendly streets and squares.

• Cultural uses such as the Lemon Tree and the Arts centre add to this vibrant urban quarter:

• Ground floor commercial uses

• Residential apartments above

• Reuse of Marischal College Annex and Greyfriars Church

Union Street West

Plans include:

• An elegant city street and distinctive business address, providing a focus for independent businesses and entrepreneurs

• Providing business services, managed workspace, exhibition and events space and a home for the city centre development team

• Skills and business training programmes

• Public realm enhancements

Station Gateway

Plans include:

• The phased redevelopment of this key approach to the city centre, with new business and commercial developments framing a radically transformed arrival experience

• Removal of cars from Guild Street

• Remodelled station

• Redevelopment of Atholl House

• Longer term reconfiguration of the Trinity Centre to transform the link to Union Street

Castlegate

Plans include:

• Aberdeen’s main civic square and a key orientation point for visitors, linking Union Street with the harbourside and the Beach

• The square will become a flexible events space and will be surrounded with visitor orientated leisure uses.

• New hotels

• Markets

• Cafes and restaurants

• Beyond the square new housing will strengthen the Castlehill neighbourhood

North Dee

Plans include:

• A developing city centre office quarter, overlooking the River Dee and anchored by the Global Energy Hub, a centre supporting collaboration and innovation in the Aberdeen’s energy sector.

• A planned approach to include an integrated approach to public realm and a shared car parking infrastructure

• Driving footfall through Union Square from the south

• Stepping stone to the Torry Waterfront development

Torry Waterfront

Plans include:

• Riverside living and new hotels (including a hotel academy providing sector specific training), helping to regenerate the city south of the Dee

• A riverside park and footbridge across the Dee gives this community great accessibility to the city centre as well as spectacular views

• Riverside residential developments Hotel and Hotel Academy

• Improved public realm and city centre linkages