THE opening of the first phase of a £40 million investment in the St Enoch Centre has been hailed as an "important day" in Glasgow city centre's post-covid recovery.

When the doors open on Saturday, they will reveal the city's only mixed-use mall with a new leisure redevelopment adding an additional 100,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space plus with 11 new brands opening in 2021.

At the heart of the redevelopment and opening this weekend is a state-of-the-art Vue cinema with nine screens, including three 3D.

A line up of new restaurants is due to open later this year while 25 leases have been renewed as a sign of confidence in the centre.

Graeme Jones of Sovereign Centros said: “This will be an important day, not only for St Enoch Centre, but for the city as a whole as part of the post-covid recovery.

“Undoubtedly retail was hit hard during the pandemic, but Glasgow has a strong reputation for its great love of shopping, and we have remained committed to creating the city’s first major shopping centre to offer both retail and leisure.

“The opening of Vue will see the centre come full circle as there was a strong leisure offering when it first opened with an ice rink.

“St Enoch Centre has remained firmly focused on continuing to evolve and to meeting changing customer needs, and following the closure of BHS in 2016, we saw the opportunity to bring something different to the heart of the city.

“The opening of the first phase of the redevelopment is the culmination of our hard work and commitment over the past five years and we remain committed to supporting Glasgow city centre, and to helping this vibrant city bounce back and recover.”

Over the coming months the centre will also see the addition of TJ Hughes and Scotland’s first Boom: Battle Bar as well as bowling alley and entertainment centre, Gutterball.

Also due to open later this year is a line-up of new restaurants including Cosmo, Nandos, Delhi Darbar and Donut King, which will complement St Enoch Centre’s existing food court, The Atrium, which is Scotland’s busiest food court.

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In further positive signs for the future of retail in the city, 25 leases have been renewed from leading brands such as H&M and Hamleys.

Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “A development like this would be significant for the city centre at any time – but now, it also shows the importance of our vibrant retail and leisure sectors to Glasgow’s immediate and long-term recovery from the covid crisis.

“This has been an incredibly difficult period for so many businesses and workers – and we know, even from the painful experience of the last weeks, that it isn’t yet behind us.

“However, the fact that new tenants and familiar names alike are showing real confidence in Glasgow’s ability to bounce back is very welcome news for the city.”

Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Stuart Patrick added: “St. Enoch Centre has long been a crucial contributor to the city’s retail mix, and the opening of the state-of-the-art Vue is a very welcome stage in its redevelopment that will see it also become a substantial leisure destination out with shopping hours.

“This will add to the visitor experience in the area south of Argyle Street and to the night-time economy of Glasgow as we increasingly emerge from covid lockdown.”

Chris Jackson, General Manager at Vue Glasgow St Enoch, said: “We are hugely excited to finally welcome film fans in Glasgow to our new St Enoch venue.

"The opening of this new venue demonstrates our confidence in the long-term future of cinema, and we’re delighted to strengthen our presence in Glasgow which has a long association with the big screen.

“There’s huge anticipation amongst audiences for some of the amazing films set for release in 2021.

"Families and entertainment fans in Glasgow are craving safe, out of home experiences, after the best part of a year without leisure pursuits.”