Aberdeen City Centre and Beach Master Plan Update

2 July 2025 

Project Works – Union Street Central

The transformation of Union Street Central continues with progress across the east and central sections of the site.

The site team have started laying the granite setts in the east section of the main carriageway which will give this area its distinctive finish.

The south footway works between Market Street and Attic are nearing completion with the new kerb line almost complete and 99% of the paving slab in place. The delineator trims, which mark the changes in surface use are fully installed and the drainage weepholes in the road surface have been completed.

The south footway from Attic to the HSBC cash machine has been excavated and refilled, while protection works over former coal chutes below the surface have been completed.

In the central section of the site, all preparations for new street furniture are complete and the sub-surface has been laid along that stretch of the south footway. New kerbs and delineator trims have been laid along most of the section, providing a clear outline of the final upgraded layout.

Over the next few weeks, the final kerbing and paving in the east section will be completed with a final protective layer between Attic and HSBC. The site team will also complete laying kerbing and delineator trims in the central section before commencing installing the granite setts.

Project Works – Market

All scaffolding has now been removed from the front and rear of the former British Homes Stores building at 91-93 Union Street and basement substructure works are well underway to form the foundations for future internal features.

Construction of the in-situ concrete walls which will form the core of the new market building is continuing to progress and will be brought to completion during July.

At the Market Street end of the site, excavations and service diversions are in progress to prepare for the foundations which will support the Market Street Arch. These excavations revealed several uncharted utility services which required additional co-ordination and minor adjustments to planned works.

Preparations are underway to install pre-cast concrete stairs, in addition to the planned escalators, within the main market building and towards the end of July the team expect to begin installing the steel frame for the new market building.

Project Works – Beach

The steelwork for all five new buildings on the beachfront site has now been completed and construction teams are progressing joinery and other works on the structures. These include installing water infrastructure for toilets in three of the buildings and drinking fountains across the site.

All the utilities connections to the site have been completed and the traffic restrictions on roads around the site have been lifted. Only minor tidying up work remains on the Esplanade.

Work on the new skate landscape is well progressed with some of the features, such as the large bowl area now completed. The foundations for the play park equipment have also been completed.

The main Rope Factory structures are currently being fabricated in Scotland and should be ready for installation later in the summer.

The final Broadhill works are being completed in time for it to be ready and open to the public for the Tall Ships visit.

Internal soft strip works at the former Beach leisure centre are progressing with the aim to start the demolition of the building at the end of July or early August.

Project Works – Castlegate 

Scaffolding was erected around the Mercat Cross to undertake a detailed inspection and condition survey.  The team will remove the scaffold and install information panels for the Tall Ships visit. The cross was originally built 339-years ago, and specialist conservation architects have been appointed to assess its condition and look at restoration options.

Further engagement events to outline the streetscape improvement plans have been held with the Disability Equity Partnership, the Aberdeen Cycle Forum as well as local businesses. These sessions were positive, and the points raised by all groups have been fed back to the project team and actioned.

Following the Tall Sips events, the Castlegate site team will begin preparations in August for the streetscape works which are expected to be completed in the summer of 2026.