A study has revealed that 3,370 new student flats could be “in the pipeline” for Aberdeen – as university chiefs battle to waylay a rising tide of private developments. Across the past few years, Granite City hotels including the Travelodge on Justice Mill Lane and former Hilton Garden Inn on St Andrew Street have been converted into accommodation. Recently plans were formed to turn the art deco Northern Hotel into another block, 18 months after it closed.
It comes amid evolving tastes among young people, with many eschewing the “cluster” style flats of old – with one bathroom shared between several residents and the odd argument about kitchen cupboard space...
These changing habits come at a time when hard-up universities are fighting to recoup the millions of pounds lost by plummeting international student numbers. Where could more Aberdeen student flats soon spring up? Many of the new accommodation blocks could be getting built in the city centre. Last September, plans for 383 student flats on the derelict site of a John Street pool hall were approved by the council.
Plans for vacant buildings on Union Street, at offices above Amarone, and on Union Terrace would soon follow. And in addition to the hotels already transformed, the idea of turning the Northern Hotel into 47 one-bed flats was unveiled in April. These all coincide with the council’s aspirations to get more people living in the centre, and making it a more vibrant place.
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