Student housing developer acquires Glasgow's Met Tower
In 2024, £60 million plans by Bruntwood SciTech, a property company focused on the science and technology sector, to turn the building into a tech hub were shelved. Bruntwood SciTech said challenging economic conditions were behind the decision to cancel the redevelopment plans.
Vita Group plans to introduce its Union co-living concept to Scotland for the first time, which "enables individuals, couples, and small groups to select the apartment size that best suits their needs, while providing access to shared amenities designed to foster vibrant, connected communities".
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"By reopening the Met Tower, Union will bring it back into civic life, create new communities, and rejuvenate this key central site", the developer said.
Vita Group said the development will "support a new community of City Centre professionals" and aligns with Glasgow City Council's City Centre Strategy 2024–30, which aims to double the city centre residential population by 2035.
Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: 'This is fantastic news for the future of a listed Glasgow landmark - and for the ongoing transformation of our city centre. And I'm delighted with this vote of confidence in a city centre where more and more people are choosing to live and invest.
'Vita's plans will bring what is an emerging accommodation concept to Glasgow, one that's been successful elsewhere and which can meet the needs of many younger residents.
'When it first opened in the early 1960s, the Met Tower was a symbol of a new and modern Glasgow. I look forward to it once again becoming a potent symbol of our changing city centre.'
The Met Tower is a Glasgow landmark. Vita Group said it is now working on detailed plans for the Met Tower, which could include: revitalising the building; creating high-quality communal spaces; and improving connections between existing and new structures.
Max Bielby, Chief Operating Officer of Vita Group, said: "Glasgow is a city with exceptional energy, creativity, and talent, and the Met Tower is an iconic part of its skyline. We see a real opportunity to explore how our Union concept could bring much-needed accommodation to the heart of the city, supporting its employment base, culture, and social scene.
'We have a long history of delivering projects that work for Scotland, and we're committed to working in partnership with Glasgow to develop plans that respond to its priorities and breathe new life into a building that has historically been an engine of opportunity for young people."
Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: "We're pleased to see Vita Group recognise the opportunity that Glasgow's growing economy presents, particularly through its continued investment in key sites across the city, including the ABC building on Sauchiehall Street and India Street.
'The acquisition of the Met Tower, given its prime location, scale, and prominence, is another welcome vote of confidence in Glasgow's future. As the city's innovation economy continues to expand, supported by the city region's innovation districts, developments like this have the potential to play a significant role in driving forward the Glasgow City Innovation District and the wider city centre economy."
Councillor Ruairi Kelly, Convener for Housing, Development, Built Heritage and Land Use at Glasgow City Council, said: 'Over a decade since its closure, it's great to see that a developer with a track record of success like Vita has a solution for the future of the Met Tower, a landmark on our skyline for over 60 years.
'It shows that our efforts to attract significant levels of investment and develop high-quality residential developments are paying off. I'm sure Glaswegians will be delighted to see new uses and new purposes for well-known older buildings.
'The message from this administration to the development community is loud and clear. We're committed to delivering thriving, dynamic, and transformed Glasgow, and we welcome quality proposals that help deliver that vision.'
To date, Vita Group has completed three communities in Scotland, providing over 1,000 beds for students and young professionals, with three more schemes underway that will add another 1,232 beds.
In May this year, Vita Group acquired the 1.28 acre site at 20 India Street in Glasgow. The site of the former Strathclyde Regional Council office has planning permission for 591 student apartments.
In June, the developer secured planning permission to develop a new purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) alongside a destination food hall and courtyard events space on the site of the former ABC music venue on Sauchiehall Street.
Historic Environment Scotland objected to the proposal as it believed the planned nine-storey development would obscure important views of and from The Mackintosh Building at Glasgow School of Art.
As a result of the objection, the redevelopment plans were called in for review by the Scottish Government.
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