Art vs Business?

The nature of the parties involved and the interests concerning the debate around the future of the much-loved historic Union Terrace Gardens seems to have led the issue to be seen by some as an "Arts vs Business" scenario. Not necessarily a stance which has been put forward by either camp, but a conclusion easily reached when you consider the Business-led partnership ACSEF and the opposing plans for Peacock Visual Art's new Centre for Contemporary Art and the Artist-led I Heart UTG campaign to save the Gardens. However nothing is ever clean cut or black and white, most Artists are in fact businesses and not all businessmen see sunken gardens as a "chasm."

The balance was struck on Tuesday when Jim Milne, Chairman and Managing Director of the Balmoral Group spoke out against the City Square Project claiming that “As far as I can tell, the people of Aberdeen do not want Union Terrace Gardens desecrated. People don’t necessarily go into the gardens every time they are in the town, but they often look down and admire it. To put a concrete jungle there would be a mistake.” He also felt that the Peacock Plan had been "blown of of the Water" by Sir Ian's last minute "plans", and admitted he "he would consider investing in" the Centre, which so far no pub and club owners, property developers, Football legends, hoteliers or garden centre managers speaking out in support have offered to do with the City Square. More telling, Mr Milne went onto say that “with regard to the city square plan, I personally know many individuals, especially within the business sector, that feel pressurised into supporting the Acsef project by their peers." Mr Milne's full statement can be read here.

An ACSEF spokeswoman responded to Mr Milne's comments saying "It is nonsense to suggest people are being pressurised to support the city square project." This statement does not really tie up in respect to the emails being sent by Zoe Corsi of The Big Partnership and an email from the Chief Executive of the Wood Group to all staff about the consultation, and the Pro-Square petition. Sir Ian himself rebutted Mr Milne's opinions by saying "Everyone involved in the project takes great exception to any insinuation about people being pressurised to support the City Square" and dismissing the statement entirely by saying “there is however always a danger when one individual claims to speak for others" despite the entire debate being because of one individual's vision for what is best for an entire city.

Opposition to the plan this week also came from a former depute director of leisure and recreation at Aberdeen City Council, Jim Morrison said "Union Terrace Gardens have been around for hundreds of years and, although occasionally occupied by a few “undesirables”, have never posed a serious threat to the inhabitants" and that he was "not convinced that a full elevation to street level can be justified, either economically or environmentally." Adding himself to the growing list of professional expert opinions opposing the nature of the development.

"It is also not so long ago that Glasgow City Council decided to “modernise” George Square, sweeping away its previous leafy oasis used by many office workers to enjoy their lunch-time snacks and replacing it with an expanse of pink-coloured tarmac. For most of the time, it is ignored by the average Glaswegian."

Despite growing high-profile opposition to the plans ACSEF have have been dismissing statements with a speed and monotony that General deGaulle would have been proud of. To the Aberdeen Architects Network claiming the conditions on Sir Ian's gift makes a "mockery of the much-publicised “feasibility study”": "The technical feasibility study is a world-class, comprehensive piece of work produced by a team of internationally renowned experts."; After Anne Begg criticised the £309,676 consultation process: "This consultation is on ACSEF’s scheme and we can’t consult on someone else’s scheme." In response to Frank Doran's call for an open public debate on all plans: "We strongly refute Mr Doran’s claims that city-centre residents have not been given the opportunity to make their views known"; To calls that business were pressured into supporting the project: "It is nonsense to suggest people are being pressurised to support the city square project. Acsef has overwhelming support for this from the Acsef board and the thousands of businesses with whom it actively engages." ; And to Annie Lennox's comments on her myspace blog: "Given that Ms Lennox appears to have made her comments based on a wholly inaccurate description of the project on Myspace, we are hardly surprised by them." even going as far as to suggest that "Ms Lennox’s near 40-year absence from the city made her views somewhat irrelevant." Hardly surprising given Tom Smith's track history with contradictory statements, excluding the views of an Aberdonian ex-pat is hardly the way to go about "attracting and retaining people and businesses." Rather than attacking Annie Lennox for not living in the area, perhaps it best to consider why she has not stayed in Aberdeen.

And as more and more people are speaking out against the City Square, the threat of losing Sir Ian's investment is making more and more appearaces. The Press and Journal's editorial described "It appears, however, that his offer is one that the majority of Aberdonians feel they can refuse", Stuart Milne warned "It would be almost criminal if we don’t grasp Sir Ian Wood’s offer of a £50million gift" , an ACSEF spokeswoman stated "If the public does not support this project then he will withdraw his offer of £50million and it will not go ahead" and Sir Ian himself has said that "If the citizens of Aberdeen decide they don’t want this city square then I’ll just finish up a miserable old Aberdonian who’s £50million better off." and "I have always said that if the public does not support this vision then my offer of funding will be withdrawn." Significant to note that Aberdeen City Council's reported deficit also amounts to £50 Million, these comments highlight the difficult situation Sir Ian's offer has placed ACC in. How could a Council £50 Million down refuse a "gift" of £50 Million? Although the nature of the gift requires a further investment of at least twice that with Sir Ian's offer matched pound for pound from the public purse and with the establishment of 8 Acres of "civic" space which must be maintained by Aberdeen City Council's revenue budgets.

The public consultation runs until 5th March and has it's last public exhibition in Aberdeen City Centre in the Bon Accord Shopping Centre (A development not about retail is mostly being promoted within retail centres) so please if you have not done so, please visit the Consultation Survey and if you DO NOT want the City Square project then make sure to vote NO to the third question.(Also try to avoid selecting choices in the first two questions as we do not yet know how the information will be collated and whether requesting a feature will register as "support") If you have any questions you wish to pose to the consultation, contact them by email at consultation@thecitysquareproject.com, raise a question in the discussions section of their Facebook Page or Twitter (remember to use the #citysquare tag.)

If you wish to support the I Heart UTG campaign please, if you have not already done so, sign our petition and pass it on, join our Facebook or email us at iheartutg@gmail.com. Together we can save the unique heritage of Aberdeen City Centre and begin to move toward a better, brighter future for our city.