Moda submits £100m build-to-rent plans for old Glasgow police HQ

The former Strathclyde Police headquarters in central Glasgow will be transformed into high-tech rental housing under plans submitted by build-to-rent specialist Moda.

The company wants to redevelop the Pitt Street complex into a ‘build-to-rent neighbourhood’, with co-working space for start-ups and health and wellbeing facilities nestled in among apartments designed exclusively for rent, while cafes, bars and restaurants populate the ground floor.

Holland Park – named after the hotel-style lobby entrance on Holland Street and the scheme’s 31,000 sq. ft. of outdoor amenity space - will offer 433 homes for rent in total. With a range of studios to three-beds, the development will host a community of close to 900 people once completed, making it one of Scotland’s largest housing projects.

Designed by Glaswegian architects HAUS Collective, the homes at Holland Park will be spread over four blocks arranged into a square, with a courtyard in the middle that will be open to the public during the day. Moda is also in discussions with Glasgow City Council on improving the surrounding public realm outside of the Pitt Street site and installing new green infrastructure.



As with all Moda developments, Holland Park will boast a range of on-site amenities. A total of 15,000 sq. ft. of internal amenity space will be provided, such as residents’ lounges and health and wellness zones, while three landscaped rooftop terraces will also provide stunning views of the city’s evolving skyline.

A 24-hour concierge service will be provided, while the bespoke MyModa app will allow Moda customers to do everything from report a fault to organising events and letting friends in.

Moda said it will also offer tenancies of three to five years as it wants to transform renting from being a stopgap to homeownership into an aspirational lifestyle choice.

Tony Brooks, managing director at Moda, said: “By being both the developer and the landlord, we can ensure the residents of Holland Park have the best possible experience, having designed the scheme from the ground up for rent. High quality rental accommodation like this that taps into new technologies and lifestyles will help rejuvenate city centres and perhaps more importantly for university towns like Glasgow, attract and retain talent.”



Murray Henderson, director at HAUS Collective, added: “The Holland Park proposals comprise a collection of forms that respond to the strong urban ‘grid-iron’ plan synonymous with Glasgow. The scale of the site and its influential location within the city present a unique opportunity to deliver a high quality residential and mixed-use development that can contribute meaningfully to the locale by enhancing the townscape and local environment.

“As Glaswegians, we recognise the importance of an increased resident population within an evolving city centre contributing to the wider city economy. Holland Park presents a distinctive, contemporary lifestyle choice through the innovative ‘Build-to-Rent’ community being created.”

Holland Park was Moda’s first scheme in Scotland and it has a second development in Edinburgh city centre.


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