Work starts on £40m mall revamp
A CITY shopping centre is set to welcome a nine-screen cinema and nine new restaurants as part of a £40million leisure development.
Construction work started today at the St Enoch Centre on the massive project, which will add 30,000 sq ft to the building.
The VUE cinema will be located on the upper level of the former BHS site while the nine restaurants will be located on the first floor at the east end of the centre.
There will also be new retail and leisure on the ground floor.
Graeme Jones, senior asset and development manager for Sovereign Centros, said: “This is an exciting day as it marks the start of the next chapter for St Enoch Centre.
“It is important that the centre continues to evolve and responds to the changing needs of consumers and this redevelopment sees a return to a strong focus on leisure with the addition of a cinema and new food outlets.
“Shoppers now want more than to just buy goods, they want an experience with retail and leisure combined – a place to spend time and meet friends and family and we are confident that we will deliver this at St Enoch Centre while adding to this area of the city.”
Demolition work started in autumn 2018 and with the construction phase now under way, the cinema, retail and restaurants are set to open in summer 2020.
The enhanced offer at St Enoch Centre is expected to attract an additional two million people per year and, once completed, St Enoch will have the largest consolidated catering offer in the city.
The new development will be accessible from enhanced entrances on Dunlop Street and Osborne Street.
Council leader Susan Aitken said: “Attracting more people, families, the young and old, visitors from within Glasgow and beyond, into our city centre is a priority for the City Government, not simply to promote a massive motor for our economy but to enhance the vibrancy and vitality of our streets.
“We also know that with retail and our high streets changing there is a need for our city centre to adapt and become more of a destination, offering a range of visitor experiences.
“This new phase for the St Enoch Centre is a significant step forward in creating the city centre which matches all our aspirations.”