A £60 million plan to transform Glasgow’s Met Tower has been halted due to challenging economic circumstances.
We had previously reported that the building on North Hanover Street was to be redeveloped into a science and technology hub with the images below displaying what that was meant to look like.
Bruntwood SciTech bought the premises for £16.2 million in 2022, announcing plans for 200,000sq ft of office space and a "dedicated digital and tech hub in the heart of the city". Previously, plans had been lodged to convert the city centre landmark into a hotel.
The proposals included a new 10-storey tower which would have interconnected with the Met Tower via a new wellbeing plaza space. Demolition work had begun to clear the site for this part of the development. When it opened as the Stow College of Building in 1964, the North Hannover Street premises was one of the first commercial high-rises in the city. It later underwent a merger becoming, as many will know it, the Glasgow College of Building and Printing. The proposed £60 million investment was supposed to see Bruntwood SciTech bring the current Grade B-listed building back into use and open in Summer 2025, following a 10-year period of vacancy, and construct the new, adjacent building set to open in 2026. It was intended as a central pillar of the city centre strategy for the rest of the decade.
The Daily Record report that plans are now set to be scaled back to a residential option.
A spokesperson for Bruntwood SciTech said: “Since our acquisition of Met Tower in 2022, there have been significant changes to the economic climate and construction market caused by inflation and high interest rates, both of which have created viability challenges.
“Like any responsible developer we have to be flexible and respond to changing circumstances, which means accepting our original vision for the building to create an office workspace is not feasible in the current climate. It is a difficult decision and one we have not taken lightly.
“From our first day in the city, we have been made to feel so welcome by the Glasgow community, and would like to extend specific thanks to Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Chamber of Commerce.
“We recognise the iconic position of this building, the opportunity it provides for the city, and the need for it to be brought back to life as soon as possible.
“We are grateful to all those who have supported us with the planning to date and are working with us to look at all the available options for Met Tower’s future.”
1. Met Tower uphill view
Bruntwood SciTech, a joint venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General, has a long-standing reputation for supporting the creation of thriving innovation districts across the UK. The plans for Met Tower will see the iconic structure transformed into a commercial hub where tech and digital university spinouts, startups, scaleups, and high-profile tech businesses can co-locate and benefit from being part of an innovative, collaborative tech cluster, with world-class workspace available for two people through to large businesses requiring multiple 10,000 sq ft floors.
2. Met Tower
The plans for Met Tower will see the iconic structure transformed into a commercial hub where tech and digital university spinouts, startups, scaleups, and high-profile tech businesses can co-locate and benefit from being part of an innovative, collaborative tech cluster, with world-class workspace available for two people through to large businesses requiring multiple 10,000 sq ft floors.
3. New indoor space
The detailed scheme outlines how the existing 110,000 sq ft 14-storey Met Tower will be redeveloped to offer 2-40 person serviced offices and larger leased office space, accompanied with multiple meeting rooms including a 16 person boardroom, flexible breakout spaces, a wellness and treatment room, grab and go cafe, and multi-faith room.
4. New hotel
In efforts to retain as much of the original tower’s fabric as possible, Met Tower’s recognisable ‘upside down boat’ roof structure will be retained and transformed into a 60 person lounge and double height event space with floor to ceiling windows, innovation hub, and an expansive view that will reach as far as Ben Lomond. The leased space available on the first floor will have its own private entrance onto a new plaza space, whilst the 13th floor has its own unique, private staircase directly into the lounge and event space above.