Construction work begins on multi million pound redevelopment at St. Enoch Centre

Construction has begun on a new retail and leisure space at St. Enoch Centre, which will include a nine-screen cinema and several restaurants!

Article Source: St. Enoch Centre
Last Updated: 29 April 2019 13:37

Graeme Jones, senior asset and development manager for Sovereign Centros and Anne Ledgerwood, general manager at St. Enoch Centre, were joined by Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council to mark the start of construction work.

The new retail and leisure space will add 30,000 sq ft to the centre bringing the overall space to 880,000 sq ft. The VUE cinema will be located on the upper level of the former BHS site while the nine restaurants will be located on the first floor at the east end of the centre. There will also be new retail and leisure on the ground floor.

Demolition work started in autumn 2018 and with the construction phase now underway, the cinema, retail and restaurants are set to open in summer 2020. The enhanced offer at St. Enoch Centre is expected to attract an additional 2 million people per year. Once completed, St. Enoch will have the largest consolidated catering offer in the city.

The new development will be accessible from enhanced entrances on Dunlop Street and Osborne Street which will strengthen the link into Argyle Street and improve the overall pedestrian experience in the area.

The leading Glasgow shopping centre is also set to celebrate its 30th anniversary in May 2019. The redevelopment will see a return to the early days of St. Enoch with a strong focus on leisure.

This is the second major redevelopment over the centre’s lifetime and while there have been significant changes over the 30 years, including the refurbishment of the food court in 2017, many of the retailers have been in the centre since it opened in May 1989.

Graeme Jones, senior asset and development manager for Sovereign Centros, said: “This is an exciting day as it marks the start of the next chapter for St. Enoch Centre. It is important that the centre continues to evolve and responds to the changing needs of consumers and this redevelopment sees a return to a strong focus on leisure with the addition of a cinema and new food outlets. Shoppers now want more than to just buy goods, they want an experience with retail and leisure combined - a place to spend time and meet friends and family and we are confident that we will deliver this at St. Enoch Centre while adding to this area of the city.”

Council leader, Susan Aitken, said: “Attracting more people, families, the young and old, visitors from within Glasgow and beyond, into our city centre is a priority for the City Government, not simply to promote a massive motor for our economy but to enhance the vibrancy and vitality of our streets.

“We also know that with retail and our high streets changing there is a need for our city centre to adapt and become more of a destination, offering a range of visitor experiences.

“This new phase for the St. Enoch Centre is a significant step forward in creating the city centre which matches all our aspirations and I wish it every success.”

Anne Ledgerwood, general manager at St. Enoch Centre, said: “St. Enoch Centre has been at the heart of Glasgow retail for 30 years and we remain focused on the continued growth and development of the centre. It’s exciting to get underway with the redevelopment and we’re looking forward to further enhancing the centre’s offer for shoppers and those in the city.”