A modest retail mall in central Perth, St. John's Shopping Centre lies between South Street, King Edward Street, Scott Street and the pedestrianised High Street, with entrances from each. Built 1985-87 at a cost of around £20 million, this is Perth's only covered shopping centre, yet it undoubtedly benefits from being largely hidden behind pre-existing street frontages. Highly controversial at the time, the project involved the demolition of St. John's Square and rehousing of its residents. The centre was formally opened in 1988 by Dr. Willi Reiland, Oberburgermeister of Aschaffenburg - Perth's German Twin Town, and Frau Elvira Reiland. The main entrance is on King Edward Street, opposite Perth City Hall, and here the centre presents a three-storey U-shaped buff ashlar-clad facade, forming a small square which contains the King Edward VII Monument. The centre includes 39 retail units and extends to 13,470 sq. m (145,000 sq. feet) of retail space and office accommodation. Primark replaced British Home Stores as the anchor in 2010, with 2230 sq. m (24,000 sq. feet) of retail space on two floors. The Centre was subject to a significant refurbishment in 1997.
The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), Britain's second largest pension scheme, bought the centre from BAE Systems Pension Funds in 2011. The centre was previously owned by the Duke of Westminster.
