A CITY shopping centre is set to welcome a nine-screen cinema and nine new restaurants as part of a £40million leisure development. 

Construction work started Monday at the St Enoch Centre on the massive project, which will add 30,000 sq ft to the building. 

The VUE cinema will be located on the upper level of the former BHS site while the nine restaurants will be located on the first floor at the east end of the centre. There will also be new retail and leisure on the ground floor.

Graeme Jones, senior asset and development manager for Sovereign Centros, said: “This is an exciting day as it marks the start of the next chapter for St. Enoch Centre.

"It is important that the centre continues to evolve and responds to the changing needs of consumers and this redevelopment sees a return to a strong focus on leisure with the addition of a cinema and new food outlets.

"Shoppers now want more than to just buy goods, they want an experience with retail and leisure combined - a place to spend time and meet friends and family and we are confident that we will deliver this at St. Enoch Centre while adding to this area of the city.”

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Demolition work started in autumn 2018 and with the construction phase now underway, the cinema, retail and restaurants are set to open in summer 2020.  

The enhanced offer at St. Enoch Centre is expected to attract an additional two million people per year and, once completed, St. Enoch will have the largest consolidated catering offer in the city.

Council leader, Susan Aitken, said: “Attracting more people, families, the young and old, visitors from within Glasgow and beyond, into our city centre is a priority for the City Government, not simply to promote a massive motor for our economy but to enhance the vibrancy and vitality of our streets.

“We also know that with retail and our high streets changing there is a need for our city centre to adapt and become more of a destination, offering a range of visitor experiences.

“This new phase for the St. Enoch Centre is a significant step forward in creating the city centre which matches all our aspirations and I wish it every success.”

The new development will be accessible from enhanced entrances on Dunlop Street and Osborne Street which will strengthen the link into Argyle Street and improve the overall pedestrian experience in the area.

This is the second major redevelopment over the centre’s lifetime and while there have been significant changes over the 30 years, including the refurbishment of the food court in 2017, many of the retailers have been in the centre since it opened in May 1989.

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Anne Ledgerwood, general manager at St. Enoch Centre, said: “St. Enoch Centre has been at the heart of Glasgow retail for 30 years and we remain focused on the continued growth and development of the centre.

"It’s exciting to get underway with the redevelopment and we’re looking forward to further enhancing the centre’s offer for shoppers and those in the city.”

Stuart Patrick, chief executive at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, added: “St. Enoch Centre has long been a crucial contributor to the city’s retail mix, and this latest stage in its redevelopment will see it also become a leisure destination outwith shopping hours, adding to the visitor experience in the area south of Argyle Street and to the night-time economy.”

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