Glasgow’s hotel boom continues and the future of an historic building is secured as the Custom House development site in Glasgow city centre has been sold to property development and investment company Artisan Real Estate Investors. The sum was reported to be “significantly above” the asking price of £1.75 million.
The Grade A-Listed Custom House – mostly vacant for the last ten years – together with land on Dixon Street and Clyde Street has planning consent for development of a 14 storey new build 209 room hotel development including a restaurant and bar, conference and meeting facilities, together with gym and leisure facilities.
Artisan CEO Jaco Jansen said: “We are delighted to expand our footprint in Glasgow. Securing another high-quality regeneration opportunity in such an excellent location fits our model perfectly. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to optimise the potential for this part of the city.”
The wider area, including Custom House Quay, Custom House Gardens and Carrick Quay, form part of a long-standing scheme to transform the waterfront with mixed-use development including hotels, retailers, luxury flats and a promenade including restaurants and bars. The aim being to create an extension to the retailing and commercial activities within the city along the riverside.
Presently vacant, Custom House was once an operational customs office and was more recently occupied by the Procurator Fiscal.
A pre-planning consultation for a hotel at the site, which was included on the Buildings At Risk register, was completed in June 2011. Plans were produced at the time by Sasan Bell Architects, which included adding a new structure to the existing Custom House. Listed Building Consent for the redevelopment was granted in October 2013.
Designed by John Taylor and opened in 1840, Custom House is a distinctive classically styled sandstone building on the north side of the river. The building also underwent limited internal modifications carried out in 1873 by the famed Glasgow architect Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson. It will be renovated as part of the new plans for a hotel
The announcement of the new development comes at a time when city centre hotel accommodation is set to soar with plans for an ibis Styles hotel at Waterloo Street, a Motel One on Oswald Street, a new development at St Vincent Place, a Radisson Red hotel that’s being built on Finnieston Street and a renovated hotel in the Metropolitan Tower on Cathedral Street.
Below are illustrations of the design and an outline of the site that were included in the sale prospectus.
