New attractions set to be created under culture quarter vision for Sauchiehall Street

Millions set to be spent on troubled Glasgow thoroughfare

New culture attractions are set to be created on and around Sauchiehall Street after Glasgow won a pledge of millions of pounds of lottery money to restore the fortunes of the troubled thoroughfare.

Projects are expected to get a share of a £200m cash pot expected to be targeted towards finding new uses for historic sites which are currently lying empty, waiting to be developed or at risk of demolition.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has pledged support for the area over the next decade after councillors agreed in August to explore plans for the creation of an official “Sauchiehall Street cultural district.”

Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow.

The creation of more cultural attractions in the Sauchiehall Street area is a key element of a bid to revive the “Golden Z” of the city centre, which will see Buchanan Street and Argyle Street continue to be championed as prime locations for retailers.

Arts organisations are expected to play a key role in the lottery-funded project, which will focus on the culture and physical heritage of the area, which has suffered badly over the last decade due to the impact of the two Glasgow School of Art fires, the Covid pandemic and the decline in the retail sector.

Sauchiehall Street has two out of three major sites which have been earmarked for future development, including the site of the 02 ABC music venue, which was destroyed in the last arts school fire and the site of the former Victoria's nightclub.

The city is one of nine initial parts of the UK named as beneficiaries of the £200m “Heritage Places” initiative, with 20 expected to benefit in total over the next decade.

Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow.

Caroline Clark, National Lottery Heritage Fund director for Scotland, said: “We want to get the right balance on Sauchiehall Street between what is needed by all the different stakeholders and communities, and actually getting some action on the ground.

“We don’t want to have too long a consultation period as there is an absolute urgent need to get some action happening quickly on Sauchiehall Street.

“Sauchiehall Street is so interesting because it has some amazing physical heritage which is at risk, with some of it hanging on by its fingertips, but it is kind of the soul of Glasgow as well. It has an iconic musical and cultural heritage, which is the essence of Sauchiehall Street. It’s going to be really intriguing to see what comes out of this.”

Susan Deighan, chief executive of Glasgow Life, which runs many of the city’s council-owned museums, galleries and performing arts venues, said: “Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Council are working closely with the National Lottery Heritage Fund to explore how cultural organisations and the community in and around Sauchiehall Street will be at the heart of shaping the long-term vision for the area.

Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow.

“So many of Glasgow’s best known and best-loved cultural institutions are already based in this part of the city and the organisations and communities there will play an active role in developing this exciting partnership.

“Glasgow already has a fantastic relationship with the National Lottery Heritage Fund developed over more than two decades.

"We look forward to working together over the next 10 years to transform how people live, visit and experience culture in and around Sauchiehall Street.”