Network Rail has unveiled its plans to regenerate a vacant 1.85-acre site next to Glasgow's Queen Street station with the aim of delivering a landmark office that it could occupy itself.
The railway infrastructure group is working alongside its joint venture development partner Blocwork to deliver the scheme, which will total around 430,000 square feet of commercial space across various development phases.
Network Rail said that the landmark office building will "set a new standard for sustainable offices in the city" and will be in during the first phase. Additional office accommodation and residential units will follow.
Plans for the site also include a reworked station entrance from North Hanover Street, enhanced station retail space, public space and other station improvements.
News of Network Rail's plans to build a major office next to Queen Street station follow reports earlier this year of an undisclosed group, understood to be Network Rail, launching a more than 100,000-square-foot office requirement in Glasgow, with JLL instructed.
A spokesperson for Network Rail said the North Hanover Street development was on its list of potential properties for its Glasgow offices. They said: "We regularly review our requirements as part of routine business planning and are still in discussions on a new office location. No decision has been made yet, but the development at North Hanover Street is one of the options being considered."
Network Rail said its proposals align with Glasgow’s 2030 City Centre Strategy and will improve connectivity from the station to the new-look George Square and ‘The Avenues’ public realm. A public consultation will be held in the autumn.
Robin Dobson, group property director for Network Rail, said: “It’s an exciting time for Glasgow as the city’s recovery gains momentum with ambitious transformation and public realm projects being brought forward.
"Aligning with Glasgow’s 2030 City Centre Strategy, the plans unlock and transform disused railway land at the heart of the city, to enhance the station and create modern, connected spaces for people to live and work.
"The development is a great example of public and private sector collaboration, to deliver investment and community benefit. It is a real statement of our confidence in Glasgow and the potential for continued future growth."
A building next to the Network Rail site changed hands earlier this month as Bruntwood SciTech sold the Met Tower to residential developer Vita for an undisclosed price. The group plans to convert the property into coliving accommodation after being used as a college for decades.
Glasgow's office market has experienced something of a recovery in the last six months, with a number of big-name deals completing at Grade A schemes. Pinsent Masons and Grant Thornton both signed deals for more than 40,000 square feet.