January 30 2024

A critical site on Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street is set to play a key role in bringing the struggling street back to life under early plans to introduce a food hall.

Urban regeneration specialists Vita Group have alighted on the C-listed former ABC cinema with plans to bring a gourmet gathering place to the city as part of a larger student housing development.

James Rooke, head of planning for Vita Group said: “As we start to formulate our ideas for this important landmark and engage stakeholders, we’re keen to canvas opinion and gain support from the community. Our aim is to regenerate this anchor site, bringing forward exciting plans for a vibrant food destination on the ground floor which celebrates community, creates a building which interjects with the adjacent buildings and importantly complements the framework set out for the Golden Z.”

Initial plans are set to be shared on 13 February but early thoughts include an 'urban park' to improve the setting of the fire-damaged Glasgow School of Art.

11 Comments

#1 Posted by NotANimbyJustHateYoungPeople on 30 Jan 2024 at 08:37 AM

Angus 'Convener for City Centre Recovery' Millar HAS to go if he tries to stop student accom here like he did at M&S

#2 Posted by I Despair on 30 Jan 2024 at 10:19 AM

Some regeneration on Sauchiehall Street is to be welcomed and it ticks several boxes, bringing a disused building back to life and helping the local economy.
All good reasons why the SNP/Green run council will bomb it out...

#3 Posted by Falconhoof on 30 Jan 2024 at 12:28 PM

Facade retention must be insisted as happened successfully with M&S down the road.

#4 Posted by devilish advocaat on 30 Jan 2024 at 13:40 PM

#3 for all the good it did...

#5 Posted by Roddy_ on 30 Jan 2024 at 15:02 PM

It will be interesting to see just how far the developers are willing to push it in terms of height - they certainly won't be sticking to a 4 storey datum or being deferential to the Mac.

Expect an early bloated that squeezes the site till the pips squeak followed up by a pared down version.

Remeber the previous scheme by Haus that was rejected due to the :
'adverse effect upon the setting and special character of the Mackintosh building of the Glasgow School of Art and its adverse effect upon the conservation area and setting of other neighbouring listed buildings'.

This scheme is gonna have to be spectacularly good.

#6 Posted by Roddy_ on 30 Jan 2024 at 15:51 PM

@#5 * bloated scheme

#7 Posted by Bob on 30 Jan 2024 at 22:19 PM

This idea of a food court in this location could really reactivate Sauchiehall street. This is a fantastic opportunity to begin the regeneration of the street and complement the art school. Hopefully the powers that be grasp the opportunity.

#8 Posted by Georwell84 on 31 Jan 2024 at 13:06 PM

Its now almost 10years since the first Art school fire. Has there been any progress? What's the point in landscaping some of this site until the future of the art school is certain.

#9 Posted by Ghetto King on 31 Jan 2024 at 16:46 PM

The School of Art is not going to rise from the ashes. It is gone.
The only chance it had was the first repair attempt when the public's goodwill was at a high and the money rolled in.
When the second fire happened there was no way the public would endorse another repair attempt.
But there again , third time lucky who knows.
To have one catastrophic fire is unlucky but to have a second one so near to completion and then to find out the fire system had not been installed / commissioned is careless to say the least.

#10 Posted by Gordon on 1 Feb 2024 at 17:26 PM

Love the way an "urban park" is tossed into the mix as seasoning. Who on earth will look after a new park here when the powers that be can't manage the parks they already have?

#11 Posted by Lovely on 2 Feb 2024 at 12:28 PM

Just a reminder that the Art School was given public money to put in sprinklers many years before the first fire. At the enquiry they said they didn't do it due to 'asbestos' but there was no further examination of the issue despite it being perfectly possible to remove or safely work around the stuff. The whole area is a dystopian mess and needs a total rethink towards proper local regeneration and much better management by all concerned. A multi national conglomerate is very unlikely to provide a good solution.

Post your comments