Commercial development and construction group Marshall CDP has instructed CBRE to sell two well-known buildings on Blythswood Square in Glasgow city centre, creating a major development site.
Mackintosh House at 5 Blythswood Square and Madeleine Smith House at 6-7 Blythswood Square are available jointly. The buildings together extend to almost 22,000 square feet.
Manchester-based Marshall CDP bought the buildings in 2017 and secured planning consent for conversion to hotel use earlier this year. A formal sale price has not been attached.
Mackintosh House has 4,983 square feet on four levels and was the home of The Glasgow Society of Lady Artists at the end of the 19th century. The first residential club in Scotland run by and for women, the group purchased 5 Blythswood Square in 1895 and installed a dining room, living room, bedrooms, studio space and a custom-designed gallery. In 1908, they commissioned Charles Rennie Mackintosh to design a new entrance door and redecorate the hall and stairway.
Madeleine Smith House, extending to 16,967 square feet over four floors, is another well-known building in Glasgow. It is said to be haunted by the ghost of Madeleine Smith, an infamous 19th century socialite who lived there and who went on trial in 1857 accused of murdering her secret lover.
Hannah Lowe from CBRE Scotland, said in a statement: “These iconic buildings are located in a highly popular area of the city which is benefitting from significant surrounding development. The sale is a major opportunity for a developer to acquire rarely available buildings both of huge historical importance. We expect to see substantial demand, likely from hotel operators and residential and office developers now the buildings are available for sale.”