A DRAMATIC red glass hotel soaring 20 storeys high is to be built in Glasgow city centre - at a cost of £7.2million.
A DRAMATIC red glass hotel soaring 20 storeys high is to be built in Glasgow city centre - at a cost of £7.2million.
Hotel giant Intercontinental has been given the go-ahead for the tower block, which will have 119 suites for extended stay guests.
A previous planning application for the new development in Jamaica Street was thrown out last year after councillors described the original design as "hideous".
Green light set to seal owners' fateTHE owners of four properties delaying the start of work on Glasgow's first "six-star" hotel are to be forced to sell up.Developer Charles Price has been given permission to build the £125million Argyle International at the corner of Argyle Street and Robertson Street. It has now received the backing of Scottish Ministers so has crossed its final planning hurdle. But four people who own property at the site on the corner of Argyle Street and Robertson Street are refusing to sell up. One is Edward Fox, who owns Glasgow's oldest pawnbrokers, Robert Biggar. Frustrated city council planning bosses have now had enough and are ready to force Mr Fox and the three other owners to sell up using compulsory purchase orders. If that happens, owners can expect to receive only the market value of their properties. |
City architects Young and Gault went back to the drawing board and their new design has now won the backing of planners.
It's expected work on the hotel will start later this year and take up to 22 months.
The building will be completely clad in glass which will be red at the bottom but will fade to clear at the top.
Today the company released an artist's impression of the planned property. The site, between MacSorley's Bar and Jurys Inn, is close to Central Station, which will be the terminus for the new airport rail link.
Planning bosses say the development will help the area emerge from the "doldrums" of recent years and will improve safety for people walking to the Clyde.
Senior planner Alistair MacDonald told councillors: "We do realise it's a challenging proposal but this conservation area is undergoing significant change.
"It is an area of the city which has not had the level of investment other parts of the city have enjoyed."
East Centre councillor Frank Docherty said: "The city is going through a renaissance and has made good decisions in the past. This area has been on its knees for 30 years but this is a fantastic design and good for the city."
Greater Pollok councillor Alex Glass said: "To link parts of the city we need iconic buildings and this proposal will bring life to this part of the city and link it more to the Clyde."
Steve Inch, executive director of development and regeneration, said it would bring back into use a long-vacant site and contribute to the ongoing revival of this part of the city centre.
