HOUSING bosses have insisted storm damage won't delay a £10million refurbishment of an historic Glasgow building.

The B-listed Great Eastern in Duke Street has lain empty since August 2001 when it closed after almost 100 years as a homeless hostel.

Plans to convert the former Heartbreak Hotel - as it was also known - into 60 luxury flats and site 48 rented flats on land behind the building were approved in June 2006.

But last week 90mph winds which ravaged the west of Scotland tore off part of the Great Eastern's roof.

Today, however, Milnbank Housing Assocation, which owns the building and is behind the development plans, insisted it was still on course to start the main conversion work by late March.

Cranes will be brought in over the next few days to remove the entire roof after sections of it were blown off during last week's storms.

And for safety reasons a stretch of Duke Street between High Street and Bellgrove will remain closed until the operation is complete.

Milnbank director Alan Benson said: "We hope to get contractors in over the next few days to remove the remainder of the roof.

"This process should take about five days. Afterwards a temporary covering will go on to keep the building wind and watertight until we can replace the roof permanently.

"We are still looking at an end of March start date. This shouldn't affect our programme because we had intended replacing the roof anyway."

Milnbank is working alongside partners Campbell Construction Group, while budding young tradesmen and women will also be involved through the charity NCH Scotland's Youthbuild scheme.

Mr Benson added: "The Great Eastern is a really iconic building due to both its design and its history.

"We are excited about this project because it's crucial to the regeneration of the East End which is obviously linked to the Commonwealth Games."

Mr Benson said the project would take around 18 months to complete.

The new look flats will be a far cry from its days as a hostel when residents lived in 7sq ft cubicles.