The revamp of Glasgow’s George Square has taken a fresh step forward with confirmation that work will begin on-site in January 2025.
An update on the programme for the George Square project will be given to a Glasgow City Council committee on Tuesday.
The first phase of this work will be the creation of a site compound and hoarding of George Square in January 2025, once the Christmas 2024 decorations come down.
Between January and March 2025, 11 bronze statues will be removed and transported to an adequate storage facility.
The statues will be conserved and restored between July 2025 and July 2027, before being returned to their new location on the completed Square from July 2027 onwards.
READ MORE: Call out for statue specialists as part of George Square transformation
Last month, the council put out a call for specialists to work on the restoration of the square’s landmark statues.
The experts will ensure the council has the necessary knowledge for the dismantling, transportation, storage and conservation of the bronze monuments - several of which are A-listed.
Given the highly specialised nature of bronze conservation, the experts being sought will help the council drill down into the required expertise of organisations bidding for the different areas of the work including their professional credentials, the suitability of storage space they are offering, and the type of community benefits that could be delivered.
Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “This is very niche, highly specialised and painstaking work, so we need to ensure we’ve the right level of expertise on board from the get-go. To get that level of expertise, it’s clear we need specialists to help us find the right contractors for the job.
“These are A and B-listed monuments and for many people are a key part of the experience of visiting Glasgow’s main public space. It’s critical we get this right."
The public realm works on George Square and surrounding Avenues will start in April 2025, with phased completion up to April 2027 (with George Square delivered by August 2026).
The works in George Square will deliver high-quality stone throughout the Square; informal 'play’ areas for children in sensory gardens in the eastern areas; a water feature; a raised lawn platform; bespoke sheltered seating; and feature lighting.
In terms of the new design for George Square, the design for the eastern part of the Square responds to its institutional character and the formality of the City Chambers and of the Cenotaph; and a further raised green area will be created in front of the Cenotaph.
The western, non-institutional part of the Square will feature an area for cafes to spill out, as well as a generous paved area for events, including a water feature.
The final design of George Square - now ready to progress to public procurement - was informed by significant public engagement and stakeholder consultation in 2022 and 2023.
READ MORE: The seven projects at the heart of Glasgow's billion-pound transformation
The next phase of activity in the George Square project will be the preparation of tender documents for the various contracts required to deliver the works.
The George Square works are being delivered alongside those for the surrounding Avenues over two phases.
The first phase will see works in George Square, John Street, North Hanover Street, George Street (between Nelson Mandela Place and Montrose Street) Cochrane Street, St Vincent Place and Hanover Street, and Miller Street commencing construction in 2025 with completion due in 2027.
The second phase of construction - at St Vincent Street (from Buchanan Street to Newton Street) and George Street (from Montrose Street to High Street) will follow.
The scheme is part of the wider £115million Avenues project - a network of new, attractive, accessible, safe, sustainable and easily-maintained routes throughout the city centre that are people-focused, encourage active travel and are more attractive to residents, workers, visitors and investors.
The Avenues project is funded through the Glasgow City Region City Deal, with the funding provided by the Scottish and UK Governments. The final cost for the project will be determined through the procurement process.
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