Achi news desk-
Developer Fusion Group saw its initial plans for the former M&S store rejected by Glasgow City Council in November, amid concerns that the proposals would be “detrimental” to the surrounding conservation area and “contribute to over- provision of student accommodation in the area compared to mainstream residential accommodation”.
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But, after returning to the council with revised proposals, which included a reduction in the overall height of the building and an increase in its provision of affordable accommodation, as well as retaining its original 1930s Art Deco facade, it appears that the project is now ready. to go on.
“Having had long-standing ambitions to operate in the city, we are delighted to have reached this milestone, which will see £76 million of investment injected directly into Sauchiehall Street, in the heart of the city centre. Glasgow,” said Brodie Berman, senior acquisitions associate. in Fusion, in a report in the Glasgow Times.
“Over the last 20 months, we have worked in conjunction with the council to develop a scheme that will have a positive impact on the local community, whilst also tackling the shortage of student beds in the city.
“Despite some challenges, our commitment to deliver a scheme that we truly believe will improve Sauchiehall Street has been unwavering, and we look forward to bringing our vision to life as we move into the construction phase of the project.”
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There are several reasons why this is good news for Glasgow and especially at this point. For some time, the city’s fortunes seem to be at their lowest for at least a generation. People coming to the city center for business and pleasure have become very concerned about its poor state and condition, with the state of Sauchiehall Street causing particular distress. The dirty pavements, vacant sites and blighted empty units on a once prosperous thoroughfare give an impression of decay and neglect.
Efforts are being made to improve the streetscape, but the extensive construction currently taking place seems to be making things worse in the short term. It would be hard to find any Glaswegian who would be against investing in improving the aesthetics of the street, but the timing seems far from perfect. At a time when businesses are desperate for more people to come to the city center and spend money in restaurants and shops, why create obstacles to this ambition?
The same can be argued about the introduction of policies such as the low emission zone in the immediate post-Covid economy. There is a clear logic to this plan too, but does it need to happen now? Talk to most business groups and they will say that what they need most right now is a place to rebuild after the challenges of the pandemic crisis and the (ongoing) cost of living. Would it have really caused too much damage if he had delayed the introduction of the LEZ or pushed back the Walkways work by a few years, or at least phased the work more advantageously?
While these are questions that can legitimately be asked of the city council, the authority should be given credit where it is due. The fact that he has been collaborating with Fusion on his plans for the former M&S store shows that he is aware of the urgent need to bring a landmark site in the heart of Sauchiehall Street back to life, as well as an appreciation that by Glasgow shortage of urgent purpose. -build student accommodation (PBSA).
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This was underlined in a report by property firm Savills last week, which revealed that Glasgow has the largest shortage of PBSA in the UK. With Glasgow and Edinburgh facing a “significant lack of supply” of this type of accommodation, the report warned that failure to tackle the shortage could damage the ambitions of the cities’ academic institutions, which are certainly key to their long term. boom season.
Savills analyzed the PBSA market in 20 of the UK’s largest student cities, which include more than 1.3 million full-time students. Glasgow was found to need an extra 22,000 beds to meet student accommodation requirements in the city, while Edinburgh had a shortfall of 17,000.
Alex France, associate director in the development team at Savills Scotland, said: “Glasgow’s strength as a center of academic excellence should not be underestimated and its continued success is vital to the city’s economic prosperity.
“Providing enough high-quality PBSA to meet student demand is vital to maintaining Glasgow’s national and global appeal, as well as helping to relieve pressure in the region’s private rented sector, which is suffering from severe supply shortages .”
It may be too much to hope that the Merger project will be a catalyst for the regeneration of Sauchiehall Street, but it is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. Equally encouraging are the ambitious plans revealed earlier this year to develop Charing Cross at the west end of the street, and to replace the Buchanan Galleries with a bold mixed-use development on the other.
None of these projects will bring the boost that such a key part of Glasgow needs in the near future. But hopefully they will be part of the bigger answer to the regeneration of the city in the longer term.
