September 27 2022

The Scottish Civic Trust (SCT) has secured £20k from Glasgow City Heritage Trust and the Architectural Heritage Fund to develop a business plan governing the future of Glasgow's A-listed Egyptian Halls.

As the lead organisation behind the Egyptian Halls working group, a body comprising architects, developers and conservationists, the heritage charity will devise possible refurbishment routes that would see the building decloaked in scaffolding and reintegrated with Union Street.

Fiona Sinclair, chair of the Egyptian Halls working group, said; “Alexander 'Greek' Thomson’s Egyptian Halls on Union Street has long been a worrying building at risk, and yet the relatively open-plan nature of its floor plates makes it ideal for a range of exciting uses."

Derek Souter, lead owner of the ground and upper floors under two separate companies, told Urban Realm: "USP and USI (co-owners) have again reached out to the SCT, offering to brief on a private & confidential basis on the current structural state, current scheme options, project costs to afford them the opportunity to maximise the budget they have secured.

"Also, since mid-2019 USP and USI via their professional team; Savills, The Morrison Partnership, WRD engineers and Hardies, have been collaborating with both Glasgow City Council and Historic Environment Scotland to look to scope a new planning application. Currently being worked through in parallel are a raft of commercial enquiries primarily relevant to the development of the upper floors; hotel/aparthotel/residential.”

Community Enterprise Scotland with Loader Monteith have been tasked with delivering a financially viable solution for the problematic site. 

10 Comments

#1 Posted by Jimbob Tanktop on 27 Sep 2022 at 20:16 PM

In much the way as people can be banned from being a company director some people need to be banned from owning commercial property

#2 Posted by Graeme McCormick on 27 Sep 2022 at 23:38 PM

If AGFRR (Annual Ground Floor and Roof Rent) was introduced to replace all other taxes, public and private owners of property would be forced to adopt a new culture of stewardship of face the financial consequences of empty buildings and vacant sites.

#3 Posted by Gandalf the Pink on 28 Sep 2022 at 12:10 PM

The cultural stranglehold continues.

How utterly depressing and shameful.

#4 Posted by David on 28 Sep 2022 at 12:53 PM

GCC simply have to CPO this now, before it is literally too late

#5 Posted by Daniel on 28 Sep 2022 at 14:11 PM

Excited for Derek Souter to turn up in the comments and once again start blaming the current state on actions taken by GCC twenty years ago..

#6 Posted by modernish on 28 Sep 2022 at 15:40 PM

How can this be economically possible now (given the current high tender return environment) but not before. Yet more waste of time money and effort rearranging the deck chairs. The building is good, brilliant even, but it's unlikely that time alone will fix it!

#7 Posted by Spike on 29 Sep 2022 at 21:42 PM

Agree with comments above, the building should be CPOd to save it
To long the wrangling has continued

#8 Posted by Mick on 30 Sep 2022 at 14:09 PM

Yep. CPO it now before it really is too late

#9 Posted by Passerby on 1 Oct 2022 at 08:00 AM

To those that want it CPO'd. Tax payers money should not be used to fund nonsense like this. Do you really want 'restore an architectural gem' added to heat or eat choices? Why don't you darlings campaign for your association/s to invest in this with your pension funds?

#10 Posted by Peter on 3 Oct 2022 at 09:23 AM

#8 Yes, as a taxpayer I prefer restoration of city centre over burning more money into ne'er-do-wells. Enough being terrorized by small (but vocal) margin.

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