Aberdeen's City Centre

I’ve tried to be positive about the City Square/Gardens project, but it’s actually so deeply flawed that it’s difficult to pick the weakest aspect.

 

They know there’s a plan for “some

kind of performance and exhibition space”, but rather than identifying a need for the city, and trying to find a way to fund it, instead, they’ve decided there should be a space, and now “Locum Consultants – part of the Collier International group – have been hired to find uses for it.”

 

The whole project has been done backwards – with an idea, and city officials, ACSEF et al frantically scrabbling around to find any justification for it.

 

We’re building it because it will be great for the city – how?  Well, it’ll have things in it, and do stuff.

 

At an event recently a City Council official told me two telling things.

 

1.     “That a business case should be ready by the end of the year.” 

 

This isn’t how the loan will be repaid by the increase in business rates.  “Nothing is entirely risk free”, rather this is what the money being sent will actually bring to the city.

There was a £13m plan, which I quite liked, to build an arts centre into the slopes at the garden, it would have rejuvenated the garden, and would have brought around £3m a year into the local economy.  So net gain to the economy after 4 years. (Faster considering that much of the funding came from outside of the area)  This plan will cost £140m – with at least £70m coming from the city council*. And the net gain to the economy each year – no-one’s got round to working that out yet.

 

 

2.     “We can’t be seen to be unable to generate the same amount as has been offered by a private funder”

 

So, the whole thing is that they don’t want to be seen to turn down (up to) £50m towards a project budgeted at 3 times that.  It’s not about the strength of the project, or that this is the best idea, it’s simply that they can’t be seen to be turning down an offer.  I’m not sure they realise that all of this offer will be used up in funding the project, they don’t get to spend the money on anything else.  (And that’s assuming it’s on budget)

*yes, I know that the loan will be repaid by the increase in business rates – based on the assumption that the increase will cover it – but at best, this increased income is being used to pay for something – it’s not as if the council will be able to spend this on anything but paying back the loan (I’m not sure they understand this)

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