Latest news with #PeopleMakeGlasgow
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Eyesore ‘People Make Glasgow' building set for major transformation
It's not the first iconic city centre building the firm has transformed Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE former Glasgow Metropolitan College building is reportedly set for a major transformation. The iconic landmark - famed for its 'People Make Glasgow' branding - is being converted into a brand new living space. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The former Glasgow Metropolitan College is set for an exciting transformation Credit: Alamy The tower has been branded an "eyesore" in recent years due to the deterioration of the building. But it has now been snapped up by developers who are set to turn it into luxury flats. It follows the recent completion of a similar project by construction firm Vita Group in Manchester. Developers say the plan will support "a new community of city centre professionals" and boost the local economy, according to BBC News. Max Bielby, the chief operating officer of Vita Group, reckons the proposal would breathe new life into the building. He said: "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." The renowned pink structure was previously branded as an "eyesore". The signage was initially used for the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and was only meant to be in place during the event, but ended up remaining until now. The building was previously branded one of the ugliest in the UK and a "crime against architecture". Bruntwood SciTech bought the premises for £16.2m in 2022. Iconic Glasgow Cineworld that's world's tallest cinema building set to close as staff face axe The firm wanted to create 200,000 sq ft of office space and a "dedicated digital and tech hub in the heart of the city". However Vita has now taken over - just weeks after transforming Glasgow's O2 ABC into a food hall. The firm has also developed student housing throughout the city. Glasgow City Council chief Councillor Susan Aitken hailed the new accommodation objective. She said: "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. 2 A lion sculpture next to the cenotaph and People Make Glasgow sign Credit: Alamy "I look forward to it once again becoming a potent symbol of our changing city centre."
STV News
6 days ago
- Business
- STV News
Iconic 'People Make Glasgow' building sold to be turned into flats
The iconic 'People Make Glasgow' building has been bought and will be turned into flats. The Met Tower, located on the city's North Hanover Street, opened its doors in 1964 and spent most of its life as the Glasgow College of Building and Printing. In 2014, a giant pink advertising placard titled 'People Make Glasgow' was plastered onto the side of the building as part of the Commonwealth Games advertising. The tower was closed during the summer of 2016 and has been left abandoned ever since. The landmark has now been acquired by Vita Group, who also submitted proposals to turn Glasgow's former ABC music venue into student flats. The company are aiming to redevelop the Met Tower into the first Union co-living concept in Scotland. Apartments will be built to house individuals, couples and groups. Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken believes the plans could contribute to the 'ongoing transformation' of the city. She 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 Vita Group is currently creating proposals to be presented to the local authority in the future. 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.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Herald Scotland
6 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Student housing developer acquires Glasgow's Met Tower
Known for its striking, pink "People Make Glasgow" display, the 14-storey former College of Building and Printing tower was one of the first commercial high-rises in the city. It has lain vacant since 2014. 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". READ MORE: Landmark development site for nearly 600 student flats sold Plans approved for student accommodation on O2 ABC site Glasgow is being swamped by student flats. And that's a good thing "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.
Glasgow Times
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Update provided on plans for Glasgow's Langside Halls
SNP councillor Ruairi Kelly said there will hopefully be a 'positive outcome,' which will see the A-listed building reopen and potentially upgraded. It comes as he told councillors that £250 million has been spent over the last decade on the wider city's heritage buildings and assets. Langside Halls, which was added to the Buildings At Risk Register as it didn't have a plan for occupancy, has been shut since 2017 for repairs. Councillor Kelly, convener for housing and development, said work has been taking place on an 'expression of interest in the People Make Glasgow programme' – which enables communities to run venues. He told a full council meeting that he 'expects to have information' for councillors very soon and there will hopefully be a 'positive outcome that not only reopens it to the public but entails community ownership and management and also secures the much-needed funding required' to upgrade facilities. READ MORE: MSP says 'think out the box' for closed A-listed building development He said the plan would 'ensure that it is used as a long-term asset in the community.' It is understood Glasgow Life has been working with Langside Halls Trust and the council to bring the Shawlands building back into use. The update on the situation was given at full council last week after Scottish Greens councillor Holly Bruce asked what is happening to ensure Langside Halls is kept under council or community ownership. Commenting on wider efforts to protect Glasgow's historic architecture for the entire city, Councillor Kelly said the buildings can be a 'burden' if not looked after. He said: 'To walk through Glasgow on any given day is to be reminded of what an incredible cultural asset our built heritage is but also what a burden it can become if not responsibly handled. Glaswegians know all to well how our collective stewardship of these privileged assets has not always met their expectations.' READ MORE: Send us photos of your June newborn to appear in Glasgow Times He continued: 'That is the principal reason that my colleague and predecessor, the late councillor McLean, set up the Built Heritage Commission, which I have been glad to attend under Councillor Ghani's co-chairship. 'While we cannot shirk from the mistakes that have been made in the past, it is also important that people who live here know what we are doing with some of the city's most beloved buildings. The bottom line is this council has spent over a quarter of a billion pounds on our heritage assets over the last decade.' He was responding to a question from SNP councillor Zen Ghani on how the council is protecting the city's built heritage. He said the money is spent on maintenance, preservation, refurbishment and redevelopment opportunities and promotion of community use among other work. He said the council manages 97 operational heritage properties, including the city chambers and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
Glasgow Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
New campaign to promote Glasgow city centre as a destination
Highlighting work going on to transform the city centre, including the redesign of George Square and the Avenues project, the campaign aims to promote what the city centre has to offer. The new marketing slogan 'Get You in Town' aims to encourage people from outside the centre to get together for social and leisure activities in the city centre. Since the covid pandemic, the city centre has suffered with more people staying in their local areas, fewer city centre office workers and a decline in retail. READ NEXT:Patrick Harvie MSP calls for publicly owned bus firm in Glasgow READ NEXT:Bus boss tells MSP to 'get on his bike and leave transport to the adults' A media advertising campaign will promote the new slogan, which will be used together with the long-established People Make Glasgow. The aim is to promote the city centre as the number one destination to meet friends focusing on concepts like 'authenticity, and personality' of the city centre. The city centre's bars, cafes, restaurants, culture and architecture will be key to the campaign. A tandem campaign, Visit Glasgow, will be launched in key markets abroad, particularly the USA to bring visitors to the city. It wants to promote the city as the Gateway to Scotland and play on its 'unique' identity, character and personality. The new campaign is the effort of the City Centre Taskforce, a partnership between businesses and the council. READ NEXT:Complaint over Reform councillor's speaking record since defection Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: 'Our city centre is pivotal to our future success; it's our economic heart and our cultural home. 'We are seeing improvements in visitor numbers and consumer spend with millions already invested and billions more in the pipeline. We are also deliberately designing our city centre for people by creating welcoming spaces where people want to live, visit and invest. 'There is a compelling vision for the city centre. If we all work together as Team Glasgow we will get the results that we want.' Councillor Angus Millar, City Convener for City Centre Recovery, said: 'No-one should be in any doubt the city centre is a top priority for the council. 'As difficult as it's been in recent years, I genuinely believe that a corner has been turned. "Transformation of the city centre is taking shape and improvements are gathering pace. Our major investment in cleansing services will also make a big difference in the months ahead. 'It's in all our interests to get behind Glasgow city centre and I'm certain Glaswegians will respond positively to our call to Get You in Town.' At a launch event for businesses, Ruairi Kelly, council convenor for development, said: 'Momentum is building' highlighting the M&S Sauchiehall Street site, Holland Park, JP Morgan and the Social Hub at Candleriggs, as some examples. He added: 'On street retail is more resilient than previously expected' and said talks with Princes Square, St Enoch were ongoing as well as Buchanan Galleries announcement of its plans. He added: 'The Council needs to be more agile in processing planning applications.' He said the campaign would 'Bolster the vision for the city we are striving to become'.
