December 10 2018

Glasgow City Council has awarded planning consent for 727 build-to-rent homes in a new high-rise neighbourhood in Glasgow city centre.

Get Living has identified 7.5 acres of derelict land for its £200m vision which also includes 99 student studios and 3,365sq/m of retail, leisure and business space.

Tree-lined avenues are envisaged by architects Stallan-Brand to better connect the Merchant City to the wider east end, opening up access to the landlocked site for the first time since construction of the railways.

Stuart Patrick, chief executive at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, added: “This development will completely overhaul a key area of Glasgow, located right on the cusp of the city centre in an ideal location.

“Attracting people to live centrally is a key priority for our urban planners, driving sustained volumes of footfall for the retail and leisure sectors whilst also bringing skilled workers closer to their jobs and reducing travel demand.”

Phase one development is expected to begin next year.

12 Comments

#1 Posted by James Hepburn on 10 Dec 2018 at 17:38 PM

There we go again. Mediocrity remains the goal.

#2 Posted by Jamie on 11 Dec 2018 at 00:47 AM

#1 I've been reading the comments for months now and have bit my tongue, but why does everyone need to be so negative about everything on this site?
These are some build to rent homes in not a particularly visible part of Glasgow- they were never going to be architectural masterpieces. Frankly, it looks like an appropriate development with some good height that will breathe life back into this part of the city. Seems like you are being negative just for the sake of it

#3 Posted by Pleaser not a Teaser on 11 Dec 2018 at 08:47 AM

Agree #2, but clearly, it is literally impossible in this industry to please everyone. This site is a cess pit for comments and non-constructive feedback when at the end of the day, homes need built within the budgets that are set and everyone is (the majority of the time) trying their best.

#4 Posted by Asimov on 11 Dec 2018 at 09:28 AM

#1 Dude, it's not Calatrava for sure, however still shines like diamond compared to anything within a .5 mile radius. Get real - it's highly anticipated and welcome addition to this brownfield. Very well located and communicated, plenty of shops around, few steps from booze emporium and neds kept at reasonable distance. What else normal people want? These flats will be taken in a blast.

#5 Posted by Jimbo on 11 Dec 2018 at 10:59 AM

Actually, when you go in and read the Design and Access Statements on the GCC site, you can appreciate some of the craft that's been put into the scheme. It's far more impressive and considered than the visuals above imply, and in a different architectural league to College Lands next door.

Eg: https://publicaccess.glasgow.gov.uk/online-applications/files/B7BC9CB2A4F5CD03A9F47FE7295D2EC7/pdf/17_03413_DC-DESIGN_AND_ACCESS_STATEMENT_PART_6-3671198.pdf

As a Dennistouner, I'm over the moon. And it'll be great for the Merchant City, High Street and Barrowlands area. Get building.

#6 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 11 Dec 2018 at 11:44 AM

Filler -- very dense filler with a bit of style and class. Shows up the shocking dross that is Blackfriars Road for what it is -- Stack-a-pleb bodge it and scarper.

Looks to be an interesting development that takes up the full plot with a sophistication and completeness that takes the whole area forward.

Hopefully it is well maintained and develops rather than degrades over time.

One issue is the financials behind the development -- they don't seem to stack up to me. Very big spend would suggest very big rents -- £1500 pcm for an average flat would not seem to be enough. Not sure how the area or the local economy could support this number.

#7 Posted by Partick Bateman on 11 Dec 2018 at 11:59 AM

White rendered high rises - they always look good in computer generated graphics when the sun is always shining, but give it 6 months it'll look just as grim as any moldy old 60's housing estate.
I would also take issue with the 'permeability', as there seems to be no through route to duke street to the north, or the east for that matter. It's essentially a dead end housing estate.

#8 Posted by Jimbo on 11 Dec 2018 at 13:13 PM

I was wondering the same. I think it's a combination of extraordinarily cheap land to start with, the business and retail rents and an expectation that the prices of each unit will rise quickly and steadily over time.

#9 Posted by SJF on 11 Dec 2018 at 23:05 PM

It's good to see they are finally utilising vacant land in the City centre rather than continuing to expand into greenfield sites on the periphery.

However, why was this "landlocked" piece not protected for future infrastructure purposes. Surely this spells the death of Crossrail as we know it.

#10 Posted by Gaypawel on 11 Dec 2018 at 23:15 PM

Love it, i feel like someone has listened to me

#11 Posted by Mick on 12 Dec 2018 at 13:49 PM

Is this the end of the Crossrail idea then?

#12 Posted by boaby wan on 12 Dec 2018 at 14:23 PM

couldn't quire place that aerial view before but got there in the end...
It's hard to tell which are the proposed and which are the existing at first, the new build stuff in and around this area is already looking tired and manky so hopefully a bit more thought and attention to detail on these - not convinced by the framed elevations on the blocks at the moment, hopefully a bit of improvement to come in the next stage

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