Calls have been made for a new music venue to replace Glasgow's O2 ABC building
The iconic Sauchiehall Street building has been issued with a demolition notice after lying derelict following the 2018 fire at the Glasgow School of Art.
Now Labour MSP Pauline McNeill is insisting that the site remain an entertainment hub to bring back “thousands of people” to the city's nightlife.
However, a planning application for the building has been submitted by the Vita Group to create student housing.
The Scottish Labour politician said: "Although we have long expected this news to be coming, it is still a devastating blow to see it happen when we know there are no plans to replace the ABC with a purpose-built music venue.
“I have had many meetings with both the owners of the ABC and Glasgow City Council, urging them to ensure that the site be retained as a music venue and emphasising why this is important to the city.
"The ABC was an iconic music venue and a vital part of both Glasgow's cultural heritage and economic activity. The venue brought thousands of people to Sauchiehall Street and helped boost the nighttime economy in the area.
"Glasgow must replace the ABC with a new venue of a similar size. Our status as a Unesco World City of Music is something to be proud of and we cannot allow our status to be diminished by failing to replace the ABC."
Glasgow City Council served the notice to the owners of the O2 ABC building on Sauchiehall Street this week.
The historic former cinema turned nightclub has lain derelict since the Glasgow School of Art fire spilled over to its roof, tearing through the B-listed structure and the Jumping Jacks pub adjoining in 2018.
We previously reported how the notice requires that the iconic front and side facades are demolished "along with their immediately attached floor and roof structures along with any other unstable, collapsed= or affected and adjoining construction, fixtures and fittings" as the building "constitutes a danger".
The notice states that work must begin by September 30 and be completed by December 9, 2024.
A council spokesperson said temporary restraints were installed on the building façade following the fire to allow Sauchiehall Street to reopen but said it was the owners responsibility to maintain the building.
Following inspections in recent months, it was found no works have been undertaken on the building and it has continued to deteriorate.
