Final plans for £228m city college campus revealed
G L A S G OW’ S “super college” has taken a step forward as final plans for the £228 million campus have been revealed.
Glasgow Learning Quarter has been identified as the preferred bidder to create the campus in the heart of the city.
College principal Paul Little said the plans reflect the college’s ambitions for the future.
He said: “This is a major investment in the new merged college by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Futures Trust and, as well as providing an amazing learning opportunity, it will positively impact the economic development of Glasgow.
“Our s t udents wil l benefit from an exciting new learning environment and the community will benefit from the creation of jobs and having these facilities in the heart of the city.”
Construction of the new buildings – one at Cathedral Street and one at the Riverside campus at Thistle Street – will begin in the summer once Glasgow City Council grants planning permission.
The Reiach and Hall and Michael Laird Architects’ designed campuses will be ready in three years and cater for 40,000 students.
Both campuses will have an inner courtyard that can double as exhibition space and a graduation facility.
The Cathedral Street building will feature an art studio, an open-plan library, rooftop cafe, and television and radio broadcast facilities.
The Riverside campus will have an 11-storey halls of residence.
Douglas Baillie, chairman of the board of City of Glasgow College, said: “Selecting the preferred bidder is yet another major milestone. The announcement today is proof of what we can achieve.”
The buildings will be publicly and privately financed, with cash from the Scottish Government via the Scottish Funding Council and the City of Glasgow College’s reserves.
They represent the single largest estates investment in the college sector in Scotland and will help transform the city centre for generations to come.
The European Investment Bank has, in principle, approved up to £100m of financing.