Susan Aitken outlines next steps for Union Street after fire

The council leader, speaking to the Glasgow Times four weeks after the blaze and building collapse, said the city must seize the opportunity to look forward and create something positive out of the disaster.

In an exclusive interview inside the City Chambers, she speaks about the recovery group set up in the first days and the steps needed before something new and positive for Glasgow can emerge from the rubble.

We challenged the council leader on the pace of progress given the city’s record with gap sites after high-profile fires and on what can be done to improve the area around Central Station.

She explained the recovery group, which includes representatives from the council, a local Developer Forum, Glasgow’s Built Heritage Commission, Glasgow Incorporation of Architects, Network Rail, ScotRail, the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish National Investment Bank and the National Wealth Fund.

Aitken said the group included people with the various areas of expertise needed to chart a path to recovery for the site.

In 2018, the city centre suffered two devastating fires, the second Art School blaze and the Victoria’s nightclub.

Both led to buildings on Sauchiehall Street being demolished and eight years later both are still unsightly gap sites on one of the city’s most famous and busiest streets.

Asked if we can expect to see a boarded-up site at Union Street in 2034, she said: “I hope not and I'll certainly do everything in my power, to make sure that's not the case.”

She added, however: “Am I in a position to make promises? No, because the ownership issue is a complication.”

Ownership is the first hurdle to be overcome in the process. There are five owners of the destroyed building and others in adjacent properties to be considered.

Aitken said: “There are multiple owners. They've got rights here. We can't just ride roughshod over them.

“But equally, we need them to be coming forward. If they don't have a clear view for what happens next, then there are people who do or who can take that forward.”

To speed the process, the leader is of the opinion that ownership is best concentrated in the hands of the public sector, not necessarily the council  but possible Scottish Enterprise

She said: “We have the ability then to have a lot more control over what happens and how the site figures in that wider master plan.”

The wider area is the next consideration.

While the fire destroyed a building on the corner of Union Street and Gordon Street, it is being looked at as an opportunity to improve the wider Central Station area.

Across the street, sits the Egyptian Halls, the Alexander Greek Thomson masterpiece, itself possibly the longest running high profile site int eh city centre that has been crying out for a solution but thwarted for reasons that no one can quite agree on.

The latest plan is for the council to carry out a Compulsory Purchase Order and transfer it to new owners for development.

But there are existing owners who argue they are being ridden over roughshod.

Aitken said: “We can look at where there are particular blights in that area. The Egyptian Halls is a long-standing blight and why would a high-end shop right now want to locate on Union Street when that's there?”

Aitken is looking at the Station as being the anchor for the wider area, which she has great affection for.

She said: “What are our assets there?  The obvious one is Central Station.

“We've got this incredible, amazing building, one of my favourite buildings in the whole city has been since I was a small child.

“I absolutely love Central Station. That canopy and everything is brilliant.”

After ownership is settled, she said there needs to be engagement with people on what they want the site and the wider area to become. After that she said it is what she termed “phasing” which is the order in which the wider works are carried out.

Then a masterplan for the area can be devised and building work can start.

For the site itself, Aitken said there are “multiple possibilities”.

People have mentioned various ideas and Aitken said, while they are not her ideas or preferences, it could be a hotel, residential leisure or part of a wider station complex.

Aitken finds potential positives in various ideas.

She said: “There is a question about the capacity of Central Station, about us looking to the future in terms of connectivity, in terms of how people get in and out of the city.”

“Does it have to be a traditional building? I think the phrase that was used a lot was exploring the art of the possible.”

On a hotel she said: “A hotel has been mooted, and you could imagine, potentially, the Central Station being bookended by Grand Hotels.

“We do have a shortage of five-star hotels in the city. It's  among a lot of the feedback we get from partners in the visitor and tourism economy.”

On flats, she said: “It could be residential, it could be an amazing place to live.

“You could imagine upper floors on that building being incredibly sought after.”

On other ideas she added: “It could be a retail and leisure space. You could have tiers of restaurants and experiences

“There are multiple possibilities.”

While all this will take time, Aitken said people should not put up with years without action.

She said: “I think people will need to be patient, yes, absolutely. But they shouldn't be endlessly patient.

“They should be looking for progress and they should be asking what progress is being made.”

 “Patience is required, but equally, people should have expectations of delivery and of progress.”