Consultation on future of Glasgow's St Enoch Centre has launched

As first told in the Glasgow Times earlier this month, owners of the city centre shopping mall are creating a 20-year masterplan to totally transform the site.
Owners Sovreign Centros describe the building as "iconic" but say that it will not "stand the test of time" without major changes.

It would see housing and office space introduced on to the site alongside retail, leisure, entertainment and hotel space.

A consultation website has now gone live, giving additional detail about the scheme - including what could be next for the large Debenhams site.  

Proposals include:
• Revitalised shopping and leisure space
• Up to 1700 homes
• Office space, located in the former Debenhams building
• A four-star hotel
• New performance space
• Civic square and public realm

An application for planning permission in principle is expected to be submitted before the end of the year, once the public has given views on the plans.

A statement on the website reads: "Our proposals have been developed to complement the Glasgow City Centre strategy which focuses on opening streetscapes, improving linkages from the riverfront, Merchant City and Glasgow Green into the city centre.

“The strategy encourages a mix of retail, leisure, commercial and residential uses, further enhanced by cleverly planned community spaces.

“We have been working hard to redevelop the east end of St. Enoch Centre, which was previously home to BHS, to provide an enhanced food and leisure offer, however longer-term thinking is required to ensure the centre is fit for the future.

“Although some great work has taken place to revitalise the centre, St. Enoch Centre still has a great deal of untapped potential. 

"It does not fit with the wider city centre streetscape and the current bespoke concrete structure has very limited capacity for other uses, leaving little leeway to re-imagine the building.

"From an environmental perspective, the existing centre has a very poor energy rating. 

"St. Enoch Centre is an iconic Glasgow building, but it is not sustainable. Transformative change is needed for it to stand the test of time."

The statement adds that plans involve creating a "best-in-class" food and drink, leisure and retail centre.

It also gives reassurance that existing retailers will be safe where they are.  

It goes on: "We will seek to secure brands that chime with our target audience, create leisure uses that provide different experiences and attract high-quality food operators that will appeal to visitors and increase the amount of time they spend in and around the centre.

"We are not proposing to remove any existing retailers –- our proposals are specifically designed to allow for the retention of shops and to provide them with a better trading environment.

"This is a key part of our vision for the evolution of the site.

"We would like to see St. Enoch Centre become a true entertainment hub, where people want to spend their time, during the day and in the evenings. 

"The centre benefits from a prime location and is well connected to both of Glasgow’s main train stations, but at the moment it doesn’t capitalise on this.

"It is near the waterfront and, through smart development, has the potential to be a thriving destination with booming day and night-time economies.”

The website also says it is "too early" to say what times of homes will be on the site and says it is hoped a four-star hotel would be developed. 

It adds: "We are currently proposing a four-star hotel of 290 rooms and 25 storeys. 

"The height is aligned with other developments earmarked for the area and would allow us to create a truly mixed-use development and entertainment hub, of which the hotel would be a key part.

"The administration of Debenhams has left a large void within the centre, spanning over 250,000 sq ft and we are keen to resolve this as quickly as possible and bring it back into use.

"We believe that the Debenhams unit is well placed to become modern and sustainable office space. 

"We would seek to redevelop the space and secure a new occupier for it as soon as possible.

"This would represent the first phase of our work to reimagine St. Enoch Centre.

Developers add that there are “exciting initial ideas for how we could create raised, multi-level space where events and community activities could take place all year round."

And it says: “Our proposals show how we have reinstated historic streets which disappeared over time and by bringing these back, we are opening up the development to fit in with and complement the culture of the city.

"The streetscapes will unlock the development from all angles, linking in with Glasgow City Council’s Avenues project which is focused on making the city more ‘people-friendly’, protecting and prioritising space for cyclists and pedestrians, improving connectivity, introducing sustainable green infrastructure and improving the way public transport is accommodated.”

To take part in the consultation see: www.st-enoch.com/masterplan

A public consultation will be held on October 1 and 2 between 10am and 3pm on the website where people will be able to liaise with the project team about the proposals.

There will also be information available in a ground floor unit beside Millie’s Cookies in the centre.