Two distinctive buildings, disused since the formation of City of Glasgow College, will have a new purpose, with plans to convert them to hotel and student accommodation.
The merger of Glasgow’s Central, Metropolitan and Nautical colleges brought together facilities previously housed in 11 separate buildings into two central campuses. The City Campus building was recently shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize, an honour given to the UK’s best new building.
At the other end of Cathedral Street, question marks remained over the future of the vacated College of Building and Printing, also known as the Metropolitan Tower, and nearby Charles Oakley Building.
Now plans have been submitted for the Metropolitan Tower to become the Glasgow Metropolitan Hotel, which will involve converting the building and constructing a new entrance structure on Cathedral Street.
A total of 640 hotel rooms are included in the proposal, with conference and meeting space, a bar, restaurant and retail space.
The 15-storey tower and was one of the first commercial high rises in Glasgow. It took a total of four years to build the structure and was officially opened in 1964. The building was awarded B-listed status by Historic Scotland in 2002.
Meanwhile, 400 serviced student apartments will be inserted into the Charles Oakley Building at 300 Cathedral Street.
The £100 million twin scheme has been conceived by the Midlands-based Study Inn Group which specialises in the hotel-style operation of student accommodation and who have pledged to deliver new open space and pedestrian connections in the area.
Study Inn director Kieran Leahy said: “We are delighted that our first Scottish project is in Glasgow and gives us the opportunity to work with these two fantastic landmark properties. We know that tourism, commerce and education are all vital elements of the city’s economy and these plans will make a positive contribution to all those sectors.”
“These projects would not work in every city, but Glasgow has the special combination of characteristics which make it attractive and we are very pleased to have the opportunity to make this significant investment for the Study Inn Group.
Study Inn are exhibiting their plans this Saturday in the foyer of the Metropolitan Tower between 10.30am and 4pm in advance of a formal planning application, which will be submitted before the end of the year. Should permission be granted, both sites are expected to open in phases through to 2019.
The plans come at a time when city centre hotel accommodation is set to soar with an ibis Styles hotel at Waterloo Street, a Motel One on Oswald Street, a new development at St Vincent Place and a Radisson Red hotel that’s being built on Finnieston Street.
