Plans submitted for “landmark” Glasgow office development

PLANS have been submitted by Osborne and Co for a 283,000 sq ft Grade A office development in Glasgow city centre.

The firm said the £95 million investment will deliver the first major activity on this “prime site” in the International Financial Services District (IFSD) in more than 20 years.

The application for the Argyle Street development has been submitted following economic and historic environment studies on the site, led by architects Cooper Cromar.

Will Hean, development director (Scotland) at Osborne and Co said, “Following positive consultation with Glasgow City Council planners, Historic Environment Scotland and the local community, we are pleased to formally lodge our detailed planning application with which we aim to begin the process of a major transformation of Glasgow’s best undeveloped city site. We want to deliver an office building that will add value for the city of Glasgow: providing the business community with a quality environment to thrive, a quality product to attract global occupiers and a quality regeneration of a large swath of the IFSD.”

Conor Osborne, Osborne and Co director added, “Our new development will deliver a meaningful boost to the local economy, with jobs in construction and local apprenticeships, improvements to the city’s infrastructure – including supporting the Argyle Street ‘Avenues’ project and the surrounding cityscape. We engage with potential occupiers at the earliest opportunity as part of an innovative approach to providing frictionless solutions to tenants. It will provide a competitive edge for the city, giving Glasgow a high-calibre development to attract blue-chip occupiers, and demonstrate the city is ready to support inward investment.”

The application will involve the demolition of a Grade B listed building, which surveys found was beyond repair.

The vendor of the Glasgow site, Singapore property company Scotsbridge, is led in Glasgow by entrepreneur Shazad Bakhsh. He said, “This will be one of the most important new office developments Glasgow has seen in decades and will support significant levels of new jobs and investment. We are delighted to have assembled the land and now to partner with Osborne and Co to progress this landmark development.”