CONSTRUCTION of Candleriggs Square — Drum Property Group’s massive regeneration project at the heart of Glasgow’s Merchant City — has taken a big step forward as on-site works begin for The Student Hotel’s first UK complex.
Glasgow City Council initially approved plans for the 500-bedroom hotel in May 2020, and building work is now expected to start in July this year.
Pioneering hotel brand The Student Hotel (TSH) is a pan-European investor, developer, owner and operator of a ‘hybrid’ hospitality model offering a mix of functions, including hotel accommodation, co-living and co-working spaces, a bar and restaurant, conference rooms and fitness centre “in a creative and inspiring environment” that attracts a wide range of users and guests.
TSH has 13 hotels across Europe in leading destinations such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Dresden, Florence, Rotterdam, The Hague, Maastricht and Paris, with a further 12 under development.
The company states that its mission is to “create boundary-blurring spaces where students, travellers, mobile professionals, creative nomads and enterprising minds can connect and thrive in smart design co-living and co-working spaces.”
The hotel is the first construction phase for the 3.6-acre £300million Candleriggs Square development on land bounded by Candleriggs, Trongate, Hutcheson Street and Wilson Street.
It is being delivered by Candleriggs Development 2 — a joint venture bringing together Drum Property Group and Stamford Property Investments.
Other elements include homes, offices, restaurants and local amenities, together with landscaped open spaces and accessible walkways with a new public square.
Construction of 346-apartment build-to-rent scheme by Legal & General is due to begin later this year.
Charlie McGregor, founder and chief executive of The Student Hotel, said: “We are delighted to progress on site with TSH Glasgow, which will be a force for urban regeneration in the Candleriggs quarter.
“Our pioneering hybrid hospitality model will allow us to configure our new location and adapt it to the rapidly evolving realities of the market.
“TSH’s model has already proved its resilience in the covid-19 environment, and we now have the operational expertise to keep our buildings safe, with our well designed extensive common areas ideally suited to the demands of different types of visitors.”
Graeme Bone, managing director of Drum Property Group, said: “Candleriggs Square is set to become a much-needed catalyst, kick-starting an exciting future for the city centre as it starts to recover following lockdown.
“The TSH development is testament to the commitment and confidence we have placed in both the Candleriggs Square site and Glasgow city centre during these most testing of times.
“It represents a significant step forward in the long-awaited regeneration of one of Glasgow’s most prominent gap sites, driving forward the evolution of Candleriggs Square which has quickly established itself as one of Scotland’s largest and most important commercial and residential development sites.
“This will be a huge boost to the area and to local businesses, who are in desperate need of some good news right now. We can look forward to bringing back to life a very special area which has always been at the centre of Glasgow’s commercial and social development.”
