St Enoch Centre to be demolished as new masterplan approved

The shopping centre that opened in 1989 will make way for new streets and a mix of residential, retail and leisure facilities.

The former Debenhams, and previously Lewis’s, building on Argyle Street will be retained and turned into offices, in the new plan which will take up to 20 years to complete.

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Developers Sovereign Centros said the plan will be delivered in phases which will allow shops and restaurants to remain open.

The approval means the two large city centre shopping centres at either end of Buchanan Street will disappear as Buchanan Galleries is already approved for demolition and redevelopment.

St Enoch Centre will be replaced with mixed-use development, focusing on retail, leisure, entertainment, hotel, offices and city centre living.

The plan includes a “revitalised shopping and leisure space, up to 917 homes, high quality office space, a four-star hotel and inclusive and accessible public realm space”.

Guy Beaumont, director at Sovereign Centros, said: “This marks a milestone moment for St Enoch Centre and underlines the council’s commitment to meeting the needs and demands of people who live and work in the city centre.

“It’s an exciting time for Glasgow city centre and with a clear strategy and appetite for improvement, there is an enormous opportunity to create something truly special. We will now begin to refine the proposals, in line with our consents.”

The centre, with its huge glass roof, will be demolished because the application stated it is “difficult to develop the existing building in a way that will significantly improve the area and its surroundings”.

The developers also said the centre is “not a valued or important structure in the local community”.