Sounds great but I can't help feeling extremely sceptical about this actually being built. There have been stories about this site before that have come to nothing (e.g. James Montgomery's scheme in 2008).
And of course there's also an upcoming local election - a chance for McAveety to look busy.

We will see - I think every architect in Glasgow has done a feasibility study for this site a some time in their career. The last one I did was in 2006!

Perfect opportunity here to create a small park or urban space in the city centre which I am sure would have been well used. But no, lets sell it off to a private developer to then make massive profits from - guess that was to be expected though...

The previous proposed hotel on this site was for 200 rooms spanning 6 storeys.

http://www.ama-ltd.co.uk/ingram.html

So, assuming 400 rooms will be 12 storeys, it looks like we're going to have yet another massively out of scale development in Glasgow. Either that or very small rooms.

If done well it could be an excellent addition to the area. Here's hoping it wont be another jurys inn.

@No.2 - 'Rem Koolbag'
Out of all the names you could choose to make a comment under, why use one already used by an active poste, me, on this site?

@moflo- we havent had a single 'massively out of scale development' in glasgow. Mores the pity.

Great to see something happening with this eyesore site, so lets hope it gets moving quickly. Merchant City feels rather cut off from the rest of the city centre currently so developments like this and the Selfridges site will help to bridge that gap.

#8, I don't feel like that at all. The Merchant City is more integrated into the town centre than any other area I can think of. Overall, if I had to pick any gap site (in a city full of gap sites) that, for whatever reason, had to be left empty, it would be this one. It's nice sitting across the road from this and getting in a few beers on a sunny day.

Agree with #4, 400 rooms for this plot seems wildly excessive

I wouldn't say that Glasgow is a city full of gapsites any more, as suggested by #9, and I would say that after the Candleriggs/Trongate block, this is one of the most prominent remaining gap sites in central Glasgow. It is so important to develop these gap sites to create a more dense coherent city scape. So pleased to see that work has started on the Victoria Road/Butterbiggins Road site. Back to Ingram street, 400 rooms will probably result in an overdeveloped out of scale proposal, which would be a pity, the last scheme was perfect, by Alan Murray architects, and it was a pity that it wasn't realised in the end.

Would have been nice to make a green area here especially with the mural here and other gap sites close by which could accommodate better such a development. What is happening with the Selfridges site? Not much from what I can see. And please please please someone at GCC see the damage those awful car parks at St Enoch are doing to the City's image. Eyesores. This central area needs to be developed. As for car parking . It's time to stop charging people for parking or start charging people for out of town malls. Our city centre needs protecting and an equal playing field . Braehead should never have been built. It has killed of Paisley town centre and I fear the same for Glasgow city centre if we allow further expansion of the out of town malls. At least one of them should not have been allowed. We reached saturation point long time ago and lots of empty units around the city centre. Free car parking must go at the malls or free car parking allowed in the city centre. More multi car parks if required but at least make them appealing to the eye. Quite like the one at the SECC. As for the existing concrete horrors . Please clad them or paint them with interesting designs/murals. Car parks don't have to be ugly. Given the amount of money they have pulled in over the years .Its about time they gave something back if they continue to charge. I know that there are private car parks about and have to charge but in centre malls have to stop charging to compete with out of town. And city council car parks likewise. Even if there was a 2 hour time limit before having to pay. Encouraged by recent news that they are looking at encouraging more city centre dwellers. This could involve reclaiming some vacant shop outlets to develop into smart apartments bringing young professionals,retired people and their income into the city centre. More hotels are always welcome but with so many vacant properties and areas crying out for development nearby I feel this space is not 1st on my list and would be better used as a green space.

Billy, I have just checked on Richard Murphy's website, they state works pushed back to autumn this year; http://www.richardmurphyarchitects.com/viewItem.php?id=7543

Thanks Fraser. Had a look and encouraged to learn that this site will be getting developed after all. Should bring a lot of energy to the area as the Trongate has been neglected for too long and a major artery.

@fraser and billy - the projected autumn start for candleriggs was predicated on ground clearance & demolition work starting in January. Historic scotland held up planning approval until several months after that, so that is all out the window.

Thanks Charlie. That's not so good. Guess it will remain a gap site for another 10 years. And even then hopefully not another car park or the current obsession with throwing up another cinema. The scale of the proposed development had concerned me a little but having nothing there is not helping the area at all.

On the point of Merchant City.

I would like to see a proper merchant square done maybe with one or two big screens that would show different events such as t in the park in the summer, high profile football matches. and maybe when not in use just general adverts to generate revenue. It is great to see this site being filled now just for the large central quay broomielaw gapsites to be filled

Ive always thought the carpark bounded by stockwell and king streets is the perfect place for a new square/events space; albeit it would take a bit of development and planning to frame the space decently

I have also thought that St Enoch Square East would make a great new civic Square. Being bigger than George Square it could hold events leaving George Square uncluttered and pave the way for George Square being resurfaced with Caithness stone or a similar quality surface. That surface although better than the red Tarmac is still a disgrace in our main civic square. GCC need to give themselves a shake. Do they lack ideas or just lazy or just don't care? And those car parks in the other main civic square St Enoch are laughable for a prime location. Very frustrating . Maybe we need new brooms in the City Chambers.

I Agree about St Enoch Square. Although some of the surrounding buildings are needing redone or rebuilt. particularly 90% of Howard street.