PROPOSALS have been drawn up to breathe new life into a a major Merchant City landmark including creating a restaurant, coffee bar, gallery and rooftop pavilion.

Plans to refurbish the B-listed Tontine Building, which fronts High Street, Tontine Lane, Trongate and Bell Street, have been submitted to Glasgow City Council for approval.

A design document included with Tontine Properties Ltd’s planning application states: “The proposals seek to unlock the potential of the Tontine Building as a new destination for work, collaboration, and entertainment.

“Interventions will be high-quality and contemporary, respecting and building upon the building’s rich heritage.

“Proposals aim to embody the historical significance of the site, reactivating this important edge of the Merchant City and repositioning the Tontine Building as a contemporary, innovative place of work.”

“The essence of the scheme is to activate and enhance the lanes and courtyards within the building, and use them to create a sense of place.

“The new development proposes greater access to the backcourt areas as a public destination.

“The proposal will see a restriction to the current extents of vehicular access, with the courtyards and lane becoming a pedestrianized zone.

Office space will be improved to Grade A standard. Other aspects of the proposal include:

— Formation of covered colonnade and a rooftop pavilion

— Use of a retail unit as an artists’ residency

— Use of a basement area as a gallery

— Turning former garage premises into a bar

— Use of a storage building as a restaurant

— Part use of an office as a coffee bar

There will also be frontage improvements and installation of replacement windows.

The document continues: “The design scope aims to rejuvenate the underutilised and largely vacant site through a combination of responsible demolition, strip-out, retrofit, extension, and fitting out — unifying the Tontine Building as an interconnected ensemble rather than a series of fragmented buildings.

“A curated journey through interconnected spaces will lead to commercial, retail, and food and beverage offerings, along with end-of-journey facilities, offices, and an activated rooftop.

“The design prioritizes the needs of the modern post-covid tenant, contributing to the revitalization of an underused historic building in Glasgow’s medieval centre.”