A new roof for the former British Home Stores building on Union Street has been completed as part of the delivery of the new Flint Market development in Aberdeen.
The £40 million project is being delivered by Hub North Scotland on behalf of Aberdeen City Council, with Morrison Construction as the main contractor.
A steel frame has been constructed in the building at 91-93 Union Street, which will be one of the main entrances to Flint. Work is now progressing on installing curtain walling, which will let natural light into the building while keeping the elements out.
The scaffolding erected on the Union Street frontage of the building last September will be removed next month as part of the works. That will allow work to begin on installing a canopy over the Union Street entrance.
The £40 million market development is a key part of Aberdeen City Council’s £150 million city centre and beachfront masterplan, which is the biggest redevelopment of Aberdeen in 200 years.
The latest progress was welcomed by Aberdeen City Council co-leader, councillor Christian Allard and councillor Martin Greig, vice-convenor of the planning development management committee, who said the new market will be ‘crucial’ in helping revitalise and transform the city centre.
Councillor Allard said, “Today marks an important milestone for our city centre. The new Flint Market development is really starting to take shape, bringing with it the promise of enhanced amenities – and yet more reasons to visit Aberdeen’s heart. By investing in infrastructure, we are creating the conditions for growth.”
Councillor Greig added, “These are enormously exciting times for Aberdeen. As well as the new Flint Market and streetscaping on Union Street Central, the Council is transforming the beach area and is set to rejuvenate the Castlegate as a public space. The Tall Ships event in July will only add to today’s sense of momentum.”
Hub North Scotland is the council’s development partner for the City Centre and Beachfront Masterplan and market project director John Edwards said, “A huge amount of work has gone into reaching this stage and the progress will become even more visible over the coming months to deliver a landmark the city can be proud of.”
Colin Milne, framework director for Morrison Construction, added, “We’re delighted to have completed these early works of this key regeneration project in the heart of Aberdeen. As the project continues to take shape, we look forward to working closely with the Council, Hub North Scotland, and our local supply chain to bring the Flint Market vision to life.”
New reinforced concrete walls are being constructed on the site on the Green and service pits for escalators and lifts have been completed. The plaza area adjoining the building is also being prepared. The main steelworks for the new building are due to begin this summer.
Work is also underway for major sewer connections on Carnegies Brae, which will then allow the market to be connected to the district heating network via new pipes being laid from the council’s headquarters at Marischal College.
Aberdeen hospitality business, McGinty’s Group, will be the operators of Flint when it opens in 2027. The development name was selected to reflect the site’s past and its future. Around 8,000-years ago it was a hub for flint working and the new market building will have a honey-coloured roof.
