A new task force has been set up to help bring footfall to Glasgow's 'Style Mile'.
Revamping Sauchiehall Street will be a priority for the task force set up to 'reimagine' the city centre in the face of changing retail trends and vacant units.
The review of Argyle, Buchanan, and Sauchiehall Street comes in light of a number of high-profile closures in recent months indicating 'the need to move to a mixed-use model in all town and city centres'.
We reported how Marks and Spencers and Sports Direct are soon to close their stores on Sauchiehall Street due to difficult trading conditions, following the likes of BHS.
Meanwhile, ambitious plans have been drawn up to demolish Buchanan Galleries to create a new 'urban neighbourhood' in the heart of the city centre.
Glasgow City Council has been working with owners to look at ways to transform the area due to the disruption facing retail, made worse by the pandemic.
Argyle Street and Sauchiehall Street could see similar mixed-use development plans popping up in the near future.
The task force will be focusing on creating a 'modern, vibrant and sustainable city centre' with retail, residential, bars and restaurants, leisure, culture, and high-quality public spaces.
Glasgow’s City Centre Task Force membership comes from local, national and UK government; the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce; and the core city sectors including retail, hospitality, events, the night-time economy, further and higher education, transport and commercial property.
Councillor Angus Millar, Depute Convener for Inclusive Economic Growth at Glasgow City Council and Co-Chair of the City Centre Task Force, said: “We all want our city centre to be a place where people want to live, work, shop, visit, invest and do business. Sauchiehall, Argyle and Buchanan Streets are at the heart of Glasgow’s shopping district, but we know that the retail sector is changing.
"Securing a vibrant, sustainable future for the city centre will mean supporting a range of uses - including retail, hospitality, office and residential - and undertaking a masterplanning approach will help identify the right mix for these key destination streets.
"It’s vital that we take a strategic approach to supporting areas like Sauchiehall Street, identifying opportunities for the repurposing of vacant retail/commercial units, redeveloping gap sites and reviewing the balance of different uses of property there. This review will make a significant contribution to our recovery efforts and promoting a positive future for our city centre.
Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, added: “Glasgow has a city centre that relies not only on the footfall of local residents but on the wider catchment areas where the population traditionally depends on Glasgow for their shopping and leisure needs.
"As such, our city centre was disproportionately impacted by travel restrictions amid the pandemic, with recent closures such as Next on Argyle Street and Marks and Spencer on Sauchiehall Street highlighting just how in need of a masterplan our city is.
“We warmly welcome this recent announcement and look forward to working closely with the CCTF to consider how we create the conditions that will breathe life into the core of the city to increase footfall and attract future investment as we continue to grow and develop.
"This is an exciting time for Glasgow city centre and news of development proposals from St Enoch Centre, Buchanan Galleries and the City Innovation Districts will play a significant role in those plans.”
