Aligned with Glasgow’s 2030 City Centre Strategy, the scheme will create an enhanced Station Quarter, improving the experience and station environment for the circa 15m customers that currently use Glasgow Queen Street. This is in addition to delivering new commercial office space, which has the potential to support around 350 new jobs (direct, indirect and during construction), as well as various skills and training opportunities for the city.  

The Proposal of Application Notices (PAN) submitted to Glasgow City Council outline the proposals for a landmark office building alongside a new station entrance from North Hanover Street, enhanced station retail space, public spaces, and other station improvements. The project aims to transform the area and improve connectivity from the station to the new look George Square and ‘The Avenues’ public realm programmes currently in development. 

The development site is within an area promoted for the growth of retail and business uses, being both within the ‘Principal Retail Area’ and the ‘City Centre Strategic Economic Investment Location’ in Glasgow City Council’s City Development Plan (2017).  

The first phase of the development will include the delivery of high-quality office space which will set a new standard for sustainable offices in the city. Future phases of the project could see the addition of future office and residential buildings, with commercial space totalling 40,000 square meters. 

The design team for this project is led by Scottish-based architects, the Comprehensive Design Partnership (CDA), in collaboration with Arup. CDA projects span across the UK including MODA Edinburgh, Printworks Manchester and Old Brewery Brighton, while Arup was involved in the recent Glasgow Queen Street station development project.  

The PANs detail how blocwork and Network Rail plan to engage with the local community regarding their proposal. As part of the statutory pre-application consultation process, a public consultation event will be held in the Autum to provide information about the proposal and to invite comments from stakeholders, customers and the community.

Robin Dobson, group property director for Network Rail, said: “It’s an exciting time for Glasgow as the city’s recovery gains momentum with ambitious transformation and public realm projects being brought forward. Aligning with Glasgow’s 2030 City Centre Strategy, the plans unlock and transform disused railway land at the heart of the city, to enhance the station and create modern, connected spaces for people to live and work.

“The development is a great example of public and private sector collaboration, to deliver investment and community benefit. It is a real statement of our confidence in Glasgow and the potential for continued future growth.”