AMBITIOUS plans to revamp Kingston House as part of the transformation of Glasgow’s waterfront have been given the green light.

The Category B-listed building, which has been used as emergency homeless accommodation, will be converted into a multi-use event space and could be used for markets, corporate events, exhibitions and live entertainment.

Work on the Clyde Place site is tied in with the Buchanan Wharf development, which will see banking giant Barclays move into the area bringing thousands of jobs.

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Drum Property Group, the company behind the scheme, has been granted permission by Glasgow City Council for internal and external alterations to create an event space and public realm.

“The Buchanan Wharf proposal involves a significant redevelopment of three city centre blocks that have lain undeveloped for over 20 years,” the planning report states.

Glasgow Times:

“The development involves significant investment in the city centre and a unique opportunity to accommodate a key business requirement to the benefit of both Glasgow and Scotland.

“The adaptation and alteration of Kingston House is essential to delivering these significant benefits to economic growth in addition to considerable environmental improvements.”

Initially, partial demolition of the building had been planned but updated proposals are “for a bold and exciting adaptation and alteration which turns the building back closer to its original layout”.

“It is considered that the proposal to adapt and alter Kingston House, as part of the wider regeneration proposal, is essential to delivering the significant economic and wider community benefits to the communities of Glasgow and Scotland,” the report continues.

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Developers say they will ‘defurbish’ Kingston House, stripping it back and incorporating an “adaptable fully openable ground floor facade”.

“The purpose of this is to achieve Barclays’ original brief as a covered public space, event space and important gateway structure in lieu of Grade A office space, which Kingston House cannot provide.”

Homeless services in the building were closed in September, with the city council moving towards a rapid rehousing scheme.

Councillors voted to invest more than £4m of funding in building an extension to the Salvation Army-ran homeless accommodation centre on Rodney Street in the north of the city to replace services lost at Clyde Place.

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Plans for a private rent residential development, with a roof terrace, and commercial units at Buchanan Wharf were submitted in April.

A “large open plan” mezzanine level could include private dining spaces, a resident’s lounge, pantry and a gym for residents to enjoy.

That application is for ‘Building 5’, with the wider scheme including offices, restaurants, pubs and a creche on the riverside.

Drum Property Group agreed a deal to fund 324 Build to Rent apartments, in two 18-storey towers, at Buchanan Wharf with Legal & General in January.

It agreed the multi-million pound deal with Barclays to develop a campus last year. The deal includes 470,000 sq ft of office space and will create around 2,500 jobs.

A funding agreement requires at least 42 per cent of new jobs to be high value, and at least 341 will be for disadvantaged workers or those who have a disability.