Caledonian House on Union Street is undergoing a £5 million revamp and will be renamed Aurora Aberdeen. Image - Aberdeen Inspired
Plans to give a Union Street office block a £5 million makeover and attract new workers could be the beginning of a fresh dawn for the Granite Mile, says Aberdeen Inspired.
Caledonian House, on the corner of Union Row, is to be revamped by new owners The SRE Group, who hope to have the former Wood Group offices completely refurbished by the end of this year.
The building, which had a deep clean of its granite exterior last year, will be renamed Aurora Aberdeen, and those behind the project say it will “further enhance Union Street as it once again becomes the focus of business and leisure activity in Aberdeen”.
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, welcomed the plans – unveiled today – as a major and welcome boost.
He said: “Aurora means dawn and I believe this welcome development is very much part of a new dawn for Union Street, bringing as it does major investment and the prospect of scores of workers coming into the city centre.
Aurora Aberdeen could bring scores of workers to Union Street when it opens. Image - Aberdeen Inspired
“The SRE Group has a magnificent track record for breathing new life into old office buildings in Aberdeen. They transformed the near-empty Salvesen Tower at the harbour to the thriving and packed building we know today as Union Point.”
Adrian said that having people working in offices in the heart of Aberdeen is vital to the city centre’s regeneration.
“It cannot be said often enough that for a city centre to thrive it must have people – be it living, working or visiting. And people working in the heart of Aberdeen is crucial for its revival and future success,” he said.
“That is at the core of Aberdeen Inspired’s upper floors project, which will explore how we can bring new life to the unused and under-used upper floors on Union Street and get people back onto the Granite Mile.”
Adrian said there is a growing move in the private sector to have staff spend more time in the office, with many acknowledging the benefit increased footfall brings to the city centre.
“That is a trend we need to see pick up pace across all sectors. The more people who work in the city centre, the more they use local shops, cafes, restaurants and even linger after work to enjoy an evening out. That can only help the whole city thrive.”