Scottish city centre offices to be replaced by 400-bed student apartments

New plans for land near the River Clyde could see offices knocked down to make way for a student accommodation development.

Residential developer Graham Investment Projects has asked Glasgow City Council for permission to build a 410-bed student block on Hydepark Street.

The firm believes the project would transform an “underutilised site into a vibrant hub that serves both the student population and the wider community, making a lasting contribution to Glasgow’s growth and vitality”.

A computer generated image of how the block of flats could look | Graham Investment Projects

A four-storey office building currently at 138 Hydepark Street is set to be demolished. There were previously plans, submitted to the council in 2018, to build 144 build-to-rent flats on the site.

Student accommodation provider Fresh, founded in 2010, has been lined up to manage the properties under the latest proposal.

A games area, cinema, lounge, karaoke room, e-games room, fitness area, group study space and quiet study room could be included in the development.

Dining areas and outdoor terraces are also proposed by the developers while over 200 bike spaces would be included.

Documents, submitted by Iceni Projects on behalf of Graham Investment Projects, reveal plans for an “elegant slim-line tower”, adding the design has taken inspiration from the Seagram building in New York.

The developers say the scheme is a “significant opportunity to regenerate a brownfield site in a highly accessible location within Glasgow”.

They added: “Critically, the development addresses a well-documented need for student housing in Glasgow, supported by evidence of increasing student numbers and the absence of over-concentration of purpose-built student accommodation in this locality.

“By accommodating students in purpose-built facilities, the scheme also supports a transition of traditional housing back into mainstream residential use, fostering balanced communities.”

Earlier this year another major student housing development was given the green light by Glasgow councillors - set to be the tallest residential building in Scotland, plans for The Ard will regenerate the 70s-built Portcullis House.