Hotel plan for empty city site
DERELICT land in Glasgow city centre could be given a new lease of life through a hotel development.
The site, on Renfrew Street, has been earmarked for a four-star, 12-storey hotel.
The finished hotel would include a bar, restaurant and business facilities, with an opportunity to develop on the remainder of the site for mixed-use.
A NEW 12-storey hotel could fill a prominent “highprofile” void in Glasgow’s City Centre.
Broadway Two has submitted an updated planning application to Glasgow City Council on behalf of ES Renfield Limited to construct a branded 300-bedroom hotel on Renfrew Street opposite the Pavilion Theatre and close to the Evening Times building.
If planning is granted the building, understood to be a four-star Maldron Hotel, will feature a bar, restaurant and business facilities with an opportunity to develop on the remainder of the site.
Following several public consultations and a review of other potential commercial and sustainable use for the land, contractors found that a mixed-use proposal would offer the greatest opportunity for successful development.
The developer indicated a preference for a superior quality hotel and for this to address the “high-profile” Renfrew Street corner.
The site, which lies just outside the Glasgow Central Conservation area, has been empty since 2007 when STV studios relocated to their new purpose-built studios at Pacific Quay.
The vacant space is enclosed by a temporary security fence and extends to two other physical buildings including Citizen M to the west and office blocks to the north.
Several listed buildings lie within the immediate area, including the Theatre Royal on Hope Street (Category A), William Annan Fountain on Renfield Street (Category C) and the Pavilion Theatre on Renfrew Street (Category B).
Developers will be challenged to construct a building in an area which is described as having character and an eclectic mix of styles from the 19th and 20th Centuries.
It is proposed that the development will not be provided with dedicated parking as the council is encouraging tourists and residents to use public transport around the city.
Consultations have taken place with many agencies, including Historic Environment Scotland, which has not made an official comment but considers the proposals have the potential to affect the Theatre Royal and Pavilion Theatre.
A final decision is expected to take place in due course.