After lying vacant for almost 40 years, plans for the 1.1m sq ft site next to High Street rail station were unveiled by Glasgow City Council leader Steven Purcell and Alan MacDonald, boss of construction firm Dawn Group, a partner in the develop­ment.

The first phase of the Collegelands project will see the construction of 102,000sq ft of new council offices, alongside a multi-storey car park and 250 student flats.

There will also be a 200-bedroom hotel, the Ramada Encore, with a restaurant and meeting rooms.

With planning permission granted, funding in place and basic groundworks already under way, the council and Dawn Group anticipate completing work on the project -- dubbed ‘gateway to the east end’ -- by summer 2011.

Construction will start next month.

The council chief described the development as a “major regeneration boost” for the city and the East End in particular.

He said: “Delivering new homes and amenity space for the public and a sizeable amount of commercial and office space, the development of Collegelands will create a vibrant and exciting new area in the city.”

Mr MacDonald added: “In times like this, the Collegelands development is a tremendous achievement and testament to how public and private partnerships can work successfully to create employment and economic regeneration among local communities and which contributes to the city as a whole.”

The project is also the first major undertaking by the council’s flagship Commonwealth Apprenticeship Initiative, with more than 20 young apprentices being recruited to the scheme by City Building -- the council’s arms-length construction and facilities management company -- which has secured contracts worth £6m to fit out the office blocks and car park.

The site was home to the original University of Glasgow buildings between 1460 and 1870.

After the university moved to the west end, the land became home to the City of Glasgow Union Railway and since that closed in 1968, the vast tract of land sandwiched between the Merchant City and east end has lain largely empty.

However, many of the area’s older features and buildings are being incorporated into the new development, including the A-listed Ladywell Business Centre, originally designed by architect John Burnet in 1858 as the Alexander’s Endowed School.

The windowed red brick wall of the goods warehouse in Duke Street will form an integral part the new office building. Conversion of the former Great Eastern Hotel into housing, nursery and business centre in a separate project by Milnbank Housing is already under way.

The development will also include a water feature on the southern edge of the development, next to protected leisure and recreational green space.

A further 480 flats are also planned for the site, suject to funding and planning permission.