Scottish music legend Alan Gorrie believes the case for bulldozing Perth City Hall has been made stronger by McEwens’ closure.
The Average White Band frontman described the Fair City-based retailer’s recent fall into administration with the loss of 110 jobs across three sites as “a shocking development”.
Regarded internationally as one of Perth’s most famous sons, the 69-year-old said: “I am shocked at what’s happened, but even more so is my wife who loves to spend time in McEwens when we visit Perth.
“It was one of her go-to places, as it was with my mum and all my antecedents. It’s just terrible for a town when such a big department store as that goes out of business. It’s almost epidemic now throughout Britain that the whole online shopping business has truly killed off retail and the thing is it’s the whole town that suffers.
“A lot of people probably didn’t shop at McEwens and don’t see it as anything particularly severe but it means that there’s a large corner of town that will now have a big empty derelict shop. It isn’t good for a recently pedestrianised street and the whole outlook of a town can change on something like that. ”
USA-based Gorrie has lived in Connecticut since 1976 but returns to his home town on a regular basis and is due to appear at this year’s Rewind Scotland festival at Scone Palace in July.
Back in Perth for a short visit, he said the demise of McEwens had made the need to clarify the future of the nearby category B-listed city hall all the more urgent.
The musician said he believed that potential efforts to attract a replacement for McEwens’ soon-to-close St John Street operation could be hampered by the ongoing uncertainty over the city hall’s future, and he hit out at Scottish Government watchdogs for blocking its destruction.
Since 2012 Historic Environment Scotland, formerly Historic Scotland, has repeatedly objected to planning bids by Perth and Kinross Council aimed at razing the disused Edwardian structure, which was mothballed in 2005 following the completion of Perth Concert Hall.
“I’m all in favour of pulling the city hall down and creating a nice plaza,” said Gorrie, who grew up in Perth’s Craigie district.
“I think cafés and things on the other side would open up like any proper European plaza town if they got rid of it because it’s never going to be used again.”
Responding to Mr Gorrie’s support for the case for demolition, a Historic Environment Scotland spokesperson said the agency had adopted a neutral position on the building and its continuing troubles.
“Historic Environment Scotland has no current role concerning Perth City Hall,” they said.
The council are currently considering “all options” for the city hall.
