May 30 2023

Sovereign Centros has won planning consent from Glasgow City Council to proceed with its mixed-use masterplan for the St Enoch Centre.

With the blessing of planners, the real estate manager can continue to lay the groundwork to replace the shopping centre with a combination of new retail, leisure, entertainment, hotel, offices and apartments.

Concept designs by architect Leslie Jones carve out a new parcel of the city from the introverted mall and surroundings, re-establishing lost connectivity to the Merchant City, Glasgow Green and River Clyde.

The 20-year plan sets out how shops and car parks could make way for a rationalised retail offer along a more traditional street, freeing up space for close to 1,000 homes, offices, a four-star hotel and public realm.

Guy Beaumont, director at Sovereign Centros, commented: “It’s an exciting time for Glasgow city centre and with a clear strategy and appetite for improvement, there is an enormous opportunity to create something truly special. We will now begin to refine the proposals, in line with our consents.”

Swapping enclosed multi-level retail for a broad open boulevard the plans promise to bring daylight and public space back to a lost corner of the city centre, including a new square for gatherings and events. 

13 Comments

#1 Posted by Jimbob Tanktop on 30 May 2023 at 14:57 PM

We'll all be dead by the time this doesn't happen

#2 Posted by spike on 30 May 2023 at 16:03 PM

Good to see healthy optimism thrives in Glasgow!

#3 Posted by Gandalf the Pink on 31 May 2023 at 08:38 AM

20 years is great.

When they finish the last block in 2045 it will be just in time to demolish the first block build in 2025.

They might even replace the first block with something modern an exciting, like a fully enclosed shopping center with a huge glass roof.

#4 Posted by Greg on 31 May 2023 at 11:05 AM

Surely the massive site at king street car park has to be redeveloped in tandem with this

#5 Posted by Falconhoof on 31 May 2023 at 11:20 AM

#1 if you're 65 at the moment,then probably yes,get buried with your phone & I'll send you some pictures..

#6 Posted by Chris on 31 May 2023 at 13:04 PM

#4 There’s a separate development planned for the King St carpark.

#7 Posted by pooka on 31 May 2023 at 13:16 PM

it'll be sad to see hootenany go along with everything else clydeside

#8 Posted by Jimbob Tanktop on 31 May 2023 at 15:31 PM

#5 This is Glasgow. If you're 30 you'll barely see it.

#9 Posted by Dec on 31 May 2023 at 20:01 PM

Something very strange is going on in Glasgow. Ambitious developments knocked back left, right, and centre whilst things like this get pushed through - not really incentivising businesses to move into the centre, is it?

#10 Posted by town planner on 31 May 2023 at 21:58 PM

Only criticism here would be it looks like they could have extended the cities grid shape a bit better than they have done. As a unique feature of UK cities that I'm aware of, it's a USP for Glasgow and would be good to see extended where possible

#11 Posted by Falconhoof on 1 Jun 2023 at 10:41 AM

#7 hootenanny & the rest of the Howard street buildings are not part of this.

#12 Posted by Nairn's Bairn on 1 Jun 2023 at 12:44 PM

Ah, bye bye St Enochs Centre - it still feels newish, but at 33 years old it's practically ancient by todays disposable standards.

They should start the designs now for when this next lot gets demolished.

#13 Posted by EM0 on 1 Jun 2023 at 15:17 PM

Some people honestly ... get a grip .... when this was built the world was obsessed with shopping! No-one could have foreseen the rise of internet shopping! What is being built (I don't love it and would rather the old St Enoch Hotel was there - but we need to all look forward) has a focus on housing and work and shopping! People will always need to work albeit a lot online, but will also always need places to stay, therefore, these designs future-proof the area! I hope all the passionate people on here are trudging into GCC several times a week and buying coffee and doing all shopping there, not daring to go online or stay local, because they are SO COMMITTED to their city centre!! And no-one has their intelligence to town plan a city ..... said from their home where they reside with their zero town planning experience....!

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