A new chapter for Union Street is beginning to take shape through cranes, capital and companies moving back into the heart of Aberdeen.
At the corner of Union Street and Union Row, a once-underutilised building has been transformed into Aurora Aberdeen – a £5million redevelopment that is fast becoming a focal point for the city centre’s revival.
Delivered by The SRE Group, the project has created more than 43,000 square feet of Grade A office space, with the potential to bring up to 500 workers back into the city centre once fully occupied.
And that, increasingly, is the route to prosperity
Union Street’s recovery will not be driven by a single project, but by the steady return of people - and the businesses that bring them.
Aurora is already beginning to deliver that shift.
The building has attracted a mix of energy, technology and professional services firms, including Ventex, Rahd.AI, True North Advisors, Mission10, NES Fircroft, Aurora Offshore and Rock Flow Dynamics – together representing hundreds of high-value roles.
The project builds on The SRE Group’s track record of transforming underused properties into thriving business hubs - including Union Point, formerly Salvesen Tower, at Aberdeen Harbour.
John Grewar of The SRE Group said: “This is a significant moment, not just for Aurora Aberdeen but for Union Street and the wider city centre.
“Our vision was to create a place that reflects the ambition of modern businesses while contributing to the rebirth of this iconic part of the city” he said.
“Bringing people back into the city centre is fundamental to its long-term success, and developments like Aurora are already helping to rebuild that critical mass.
“We’re seeing real momentum now, with businesses recognising the value of being in a vibrant, connected city centre environment.”
That idea - of repopulating the city centre through high-quality workspace - sits at the heart of Union Street’s wider regeneration.
Because without workers, there is no footfall. And without footfall, there is no recovery.
Further east along Union Street, another major investment is nearing a visible milestone.
The new £40 million Flint market - taking shape within the former BHS building - is beginning to reveal its final form, with striking glazed panels and gold-coloured detailing now being installed at its main entrance.
Where Aurora is focused on bringing workers back, Flint is designed to bring crowds.
Once open, the market will host up to 10 food vendors and is expected to become a new anchor at the Market Street end of the Granite Mile – drawing visitors back into a part of the city that has struggled in recent years.
But its role extends beyond food.
The building has been designed to improve connectivity - linking Union Square, the Green, and the wider city centre - while making it easier for visitors to move between transport hubs and Union Street itself.
Plans for the Green entrance point to a more experiential future, with outdoor seating and a large LED screen capable of hosting cultural and sporting events.
In effect, Flint is not just a redevelopment - it is an attempt to reshape how people experience the city centre.
Taken in isolation, neither Aurora nor Flint is enough to transform Union Street. But together, they point to something more significant, momentum.
One is bringing workers back. The other is designed to bring people back.
Both are underpinned by substantial investment - and both signal renewed confidence in Union Street as a place to build businesses, create jobs and spend time.
Bob Keiller, Chairman of Our Union Street, added: "Regeneration is not delivered overnight; it is built gradually through accumulation, with more companies choosing the city centre, more destinations opening, and more reasons for people to return."
Union Street is not “fixed”, and there are still empty units, structural challenges and long-standing questions about its future. However, what is beginning to emerge is a different story - not one of decline, but of gradual reoccupation.
This is not being driven by a single flagship project, but by multiple investments starting to align. Crucially, it is no longer just about plans, but about visible change.
Glass is going up, lights are coming on, and teams are moving in.
After years of uncertainty, Union Street is starting to look, and feel, like a place with a future again.