THE cost to repair a popular city pub after it was badly damaged by the Sauchiehall Street fire could be more than a million pounds.

Lauder’s Pub is due to undergo a complete refurbishment almost a year after it was forced to close by the Victoria’s Nightclub blaze.

Damage to the building, caused by water ingress and the subsequent demolition of Victoria’s, meant that owners were not able to gain access to the pub for months after being kicked out.

Read more: Glasgow pub Lauders 'working towards' reopening a year after being closed by Victoria's nightclub fire

In that time, water had caused significant damage to the roof and gable end of the building,

After gaining access, building managers then had to work with Glasgow City Council and third-party owners to get permission to carry out maintenance work.

Area manager, Ryan McHenry, said the pub will need “ripped out” and started again.

He explained: “We just thought it was a small scale fire. The fire brigade came in just to let us know they would be around, then fifteen minutes they came running back in shouting at us all the get out straight away.

“It became clear very quickly then that it was a serious incident.

“Once we kind of understood the severity of the fire we understood that it wasn't going to be an overnight closure. We accepted that, and then it was about deployment of the team.”

Lauder’s is one of the biggest food taking sites of all the Mitchell and Butlers pubs - including The Auctioneers, Horseshoe Bar, The Granary in Shawlands and two O’Neill’s bars in the city centre - with dozens of staff employed to keep it running.

Read more: Glasgow pub Lauders 'working towards' reopening a year after being closed by Victoria's nightclub fire

As the business was shut down by the fire, bosses managed to deploy staff elsewhere in the city. When the pub eventually reopens, they will be given the option to return or stay where they are.

Ryan added: “A fortnight after the fire we understood it was going to be tough so we just took steps to try be as positive as possible.

“We didn't get the building back until early August and from there it was trying to ascertain where we stood.

“There’s where the complications began. Obviously it’s shared ownership with buildings up there and the complications we encountered through various third parties - that has been the most difficult thing.

“Fortunately we’ve got a building team and lawyers who deal with all that for us. It was obviously the hardest part.

“There is damage to the roof that has made a lot of damage internally to ceilings.

“We’re going to have to strip the whole business out and start from scratch, just because it had been lying damp for a while and the water ingress has come in.

“Some would say that we’ve been lucky that structurally it’s not as bad as people would've thought. There's definitely work to be done.”

Work on the remodel is yet to begin but with a complete new interior needed, it is estimated to cost well into seven-figures.

Developers have been tasked with modernising the pub, while maintaining its history and traditional decor customers have grown to know.

The area manager adds: “I think we have to become a little bit more modern but we have to keep tradition. We know the guest base that was there and we have to know the guest base that's out there and we have to attract. There will be a fine balance.

“We could never just give up on it - it’s a huge business. Not even just from a company perspective, morally it's the right thing to do. There's a team and customers that have been there for years.”

The Auctioneers will also be undergoing a ‘substantial’ refurbishment in the coming weeks.

Read more: Glasgow pub Lauders 'working towards' reopening a year after being closed by Victoria's nightclub fire

The pub, just off St Vincent Place, will be closing on February 4 for a two-week makeover while The Granary, in Shawlands, will be given a modern facelift.

Ryan added: “We get quite excited when we hear a bit of news. It might be a stretch to get it open for March but if we can get things done I would like to be open for Easter.

“In one sense it’s great, but on the other hand, it’s frustrating because we know how popular the pub is.

“You look at all the other businesses in Glasgow - its full of competition. We’re going to have to work hard to get to guest base back and we want to do that. We can't stand still on this.”