PLANS are underway for 100 new apartments in a £20m development on a vacant site in Glasgow.
The complex, on the western side of the city centre, would also include retail units, creating up to 300 jobs, and is part of a drive to bring more homes to the city centre.
The site, from 520-522 Sauchiehall Street, which includes a B-listed building, has had a chequered past since it opened as a piano store in 1896 and has lain derelict since its last incarnation as a nightclub, which closed in 2011.
Now Edinburgh-based developer Consensus Capital is to unveil plans to fill the infamous ‘missing tooth’ site, close to Charing Cross.
The £20million proposal will form part of Sauchiehall Street’s Avenues Project, launched by Glasgow City Council which is encouraging the creation of more homes in the area as part of its regeneration and redevelopment of the city centre.
A newly built, mixed-use tower of 100 studio and one-bedroom apartments will be located on the site.
Consensus Capital Group Ltd intends to submit an outline planning application to the local authority.
The developer is discussing with a heritage consultant the feasibility of retaining the existing façade of the red sandstone building at 520 Sauchiehall Street.
A spokesman said the location was identified following a search of available sites in the city and the final design will seek to incorporate suggestions from local people.
If approved by planners, it is hoped work on the project can start in next spring with a completion date of June 2022.
The city council has invested around £12million of City Deal funding to improve the road, cycle and residential infrastructure in Sauchiehall Street, hoping to attract further private sector investment in an area devastated by recent fires and the closure of a number of commercial operators.
It recently unveiled its new City Centre Residential Strategy and wants to create homes for an additional 25,000 residents, encouraging developers to come forward with proposals.
The project team includes Stephen Miles of ADP Architecture, who designed the project, and planning consultant Pamela Turner, of Glasgow-based Iceni Projects.
Mark Emlick, chief executive of Consensus Capital, said: “This project will provide more than 100, high-quality modern homes suitable for first-time buyers, single professionals and couples.
“Development of Sauchiehall Street has, for a long time, focused on servicing the night-time economy and there is a desire among city planners and local people, to return the area to its original, mixed use.
“City centre living reduces commuting time, lowers the carbon footprint of commuting, retains more consumer spending within the city centre’s local economy and provides day-time balance to the existing night-time economy.
“This location is ideal for people looking to live in a vibrant, city-centre environment close to great shops, pubs and restaurants and some of the city’s best transport links.”
Mr Emlick added: “The residential units will create significant economic benefit to the local area, encouraging key workers and graduates to remain in the city and providing a highly-connected location for city-centre living.”
A heritage consultant has been retained to advise on the final design to ensure the proposed development reflects and enhances the appearance of the local conservation area and neighbouring buildings.
Developers have commissioned wind and overshadowing studies to mitigate any potential physical or light impact of the proposed development.
Mr Miles, a director of ADP Architecture, said: “We believe that in a post-Covid world, enabling people to live within walkable and cycling neighbourhoods in the city centre is crucial for supporting the economy of Glasgow. "
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