21 February 2012
CLYDE GATEWAY SHORTLISTED FOR PRESTIGIOUS UK AWARD
Clyde Gateway has been shortlisted in the Regeneration of the Year category at the Property Awards 2012.
The Property Awards celebrate innovation, excellence and outstanding performance in the UK property and real estate market. They are organised by Property Week magazine, the UK's leading commercial property publication and have been in existence for seventeen years.
The shortlist of projects for the award, and the companies behind them, is made up of:-
Clyde Gateway, Clyde Gateway URC
Kings Cross Central, Kings Cross Central Limited Partnership
MediaCityUK, Peel Group
Olympic Park, Olympic Delivery Authority
Wembley City, Quintain
Westfield Stratford, Westfield
There were more than 1000 nominations for the Property Awards 2012, and this has been reduced to 99 finalists across 17 categories. An expert panel has been put together to decide each of the winners.
Ian Manson, Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said, "It is always immensely satisfying to be recognised by your peers and to be nominated for this award in 2012 alongside so many long-established regeneration schemes in London and Manchester is a great reward for the whole team at Clyde Gateway. "
The winner of the Regeneration of the Year award will be announced at a dinner in London on 19 April.
20 February 2012
NEW BUSINESS E-BULLETIN HIGHLIGHTS PROSPEROUS LEGACY FROM 2014 GAMES
Glasgow City Council has distributed the first edition of a quarterly e-bulletin to 7,000 Glasgow businesses to illustrate the latest news and business opportunities available through the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The e-bulletin, contains details of 'Winning Contracts Through The Games' an upcoming free half-day conference taking place on 27 February at the SECC along with a link to a short film which demonstrates some of the activities currently underway or in the pipeline in respect of the Games. The work of Clyde Gateway is highlighted within the film.
The e-bulletin can be downloaded at:-
26 January 2012
SPORTS PROGRAMME GIVES CLYDE GATEWAY YOUNGSTERS A JUMP-START TO HEALTHIER LIVING
Clyde Gateway is playing its part in helping local school children improve their fitness and health through its sponsorship of Jump2it, a programme managed by Scottish Sports Futures, a Glasgow-based charity which delivers “Education through Sport” programmes to disadvantaged young people across Scotland.
Jump2it involves Glasgow Rocks, the professional basketball side which currently plays at the Kelvin Hall in the west end of the city. The programme gives 17 primary schools from the East End and South Lanarkshire the chance to play basketball while at the same time learning about the importance of fitness, healthy eating and the dangers of smoking, drug and alcohol abuse. More than 600 pupils joined stars from Glasgow Rocks, including player-coach Sterling Davis, at the Kelvin Hall for a special event to celebrate the programme and to give awards to the winning schools.
Sterling Davis said, "It is great to see the kids having fun playing basketball here at the Kelvin Hall and to offer them encouragment and advice."
Future Jump2it events will take place at the Commonwealth Sports Arena in the heart of Clyde Gateway with Glasgow Rocks moving there from Kelvin Hall for the start of the 2012/13 professional basketball season.
Niki Spence, project manager for Community Benefits at Clyde Gateway said, "Our partnership with Scottish Sports Futures has been hugely successful in attracting many more youngsters to play basketball. Such work is part of our efforts to improve the health and well-being of local people and to give them the best opportunities to make the most out of their lives."
Further information on the work of Scottish Sports Futures can be found at http://www.ssf.nsdesign6.net/
18 January 2012
WORK SET TO BEGIN ON THREE NEW UNITS AT CLYDE GATEWAY EAST
Developer SCOT Sheridan is set to commence work later this month on the first phase of the £14 million development of Clyde Gateway East Business Park in the East End of Glasgow.
SCOT Sheridan will create 57,500 sq ft of modern, flexible business accommodation in three separate buildings at the park which has a prime location off the newly completed M74 just four miles from Glasgow city centre. The development is accessed close to Junction 2a of the Motorway.
The space will comprise units of 22,200 sq ft, 19,200 sq ft and 16,100 sq ft suitable for production or distribution and each featuring office accommodation, dedicated parking and secure yardage with a rental rate of £6.50 per sq ft. The units will also include the latest Smart Grid technology meaning that prospective tenants can manage their energy more effectively and potentially sell any self-generated power back to the grid.
It is hoped that the business park, which is owned by UK business estate operator MEPC and Clyde Gateway, will eventually support around 700 jobs. Funding for the work - the first major new-build industrial development scheme to be undertaken in Glasgow for over three years – is being provided by MEPC. Construction will be carried out by CCG from Cambuslang and is expected to be completed in late Summer 2012.
David MacLachlan, Director, SCOT Sheridan said;
“We’ve already had a tremendous amount of interest in these speculatively built units due, we believe, to a combination of a superb business location with modern, flexible buildings that put the needs of today’s businesses firmly at the heart of their design. The impressive levels of interest to date confirm our strong belief in the potential of Clyde Gateway East which looks set to attract much-needed jobs to the area in the near future.”
Steve Pritchard, Executive Director of Development at Clyde Gateway said;
“This investment is another great demonstration of the willingness of the private sector to commit to Clyde Gateway. This particular location takes advantage of unrivalled road connections through its proximity to the recent completion of the M74 and is a huge vote of confidence by SCOT Sheridan and MEPC in our on-going and future activities to fully transform the fortunes of our communities.”
More information on Clyde Gateway East is available at www.clydegatewayeast.co.uk or by contacting Alan Gilkison at Ryden on 0141 204 3838 or David Rolwegan at CBRE on 0141 204 7666.
17 January 2012
DALMARNOCK ROAD TO PARTIALLY RE-OPEN EARLIER THAN EXPECTED
The section of Dalmarnock Road, between Bartholomew Street and Springfield Road, which has been closed since November 2010 to allow major bridge replacement works to be carried out as part of the construction of the East End Regeneration Route, is to partially re-open on 18 January, some two and a half months ahead of schedule.
It will re-open to one lane of traffic in each direction, an arrangment that will remain in place until the latest section of the East End Regeneration Route opens in May 2012 when two lanes in each direction will again be available on Dalmarnock Road.
The re-opening of Dlamarnock Road will reduce the levels of traffic that has, for the past 18 months, been diverted onto Strathclyde Street, Swanston Street, Poplin Street and Bartholomew Street.
11 January 2012
SIX MONTHS IN AND FORTY-ONE JOBS AT RED TREE RUTHERGLEN
The Red Tree Business Suites at Stonelaw Road, Rutherglen, which were officially opened in July 2011, have proven to be an instant success. Nine of the eleven suites are now occupied, providing employment for forty-one people.
The rate of occupancy and the number of jobs is well ahead of the expectations, a situation that has delighted Ian Manson, Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway who said:-
"Red Tree Rutherglen was a project designed to provide stylish and affordable high quality office space in the heart of the burgh and also to bring the former Housing Office on Stonelaw Road back into economic use.
"When we put the business plan to our Board for its approval we indicated that it could take up to three years to begin to see a significant proportion of the building to be let and four years before full occupancy. It is hugely encouraging that after only six months so many suites have been snapped up with businesses showing a huge keeness to locate in Rutherglen."
All nine of the companies within the Stonelaw Road offices are new to Rutherglen having moved and in most cases expanded from previous premises in Glasgow and other parts of Lanarkshire.
Information on the remaining two suites can be found at www.redtreebusinesssuites.co.uk or by calling 0141 204 3838
10 January 2012
JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS
Residents of the East End of Glasgow and Rutherglen, aged between 16 and 25, are being given a unique opportunity to land a job at the Commonwealth Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome which will open in the Dalmarnock area of the city in late 2012.
Thanks to a partnership between Clyde Gateway and Glasgow Life, young people living within the communities covered by Scotland’s biggest regeneration agency will be eligible to enter into a specially designed programme of training, the completion of which will guarantee an interview for the position of Leisure Attendant at the new facility. The training programme will be delivered by Street League, a Glasgow-based organisation with a hugely successful track record of supporting young people and adults into employment or further education through sport.
George Redmond, chair of Glasgow Life and a Board member at Clyde Gateway said “Glasgow Life will begin managing the Commonwealth Arena and the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome from this coming March and we will immediately begin the extensive preparations for its opening to the public later in the year.
“The new facility will be one of the biggest and best indoor sports and leisure centres of its type in Europe and a showcase for the sports services we provide at Glasgow Life. While some of the experienced staff working there will transfer from some of our other centres across the city, we will be recruiting fifty-five new staff for a range of positions but predominantly Leisure Attendants.
“We have always said that part of the legacy from the construction of the new facility will be the jobs spin-off for local residents and this new programme with Street League aims to help achieve this. It is tailored for people living in or around the Clyde Gateway communities of Bridgeton, Dalmarnock, Rutherglen and Toryglen and is a wonderful opportunity for young people who are currently unemployed to land a secure and well-paid job with future career prospects in sports and leisure.”
The Commonwealth Arena and Velodrome complex is being built by Glasgow City Council who included specific clauses in the tendering process to create employment and business opportunities for local people and companies.
Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "The companies involved in building the arena and velodrome have played a significant role in ensuring local people benefit from the work, not least with the number of apprentices places created.
"So I'm delighted that Glasgow Life, which will operate the venue on the council's behalf, are continuing in partnership with Clyde Gateway to ensure there are benefits to the local community through this project.”
The new training programme lasts 12 weeks. The first of the intake will begin the training in late January, part of which will include a minimum of 30 hours work experience in an existing sports facility operated by Glasgow Life. The programme, which has been specially customised by Street League, will include a wide range of vocational training including sports coaching and lifeguard training. It will be open to any Clyde Gateway resident aged between 16 and 25 who is registered with either Skills Development Scotland or Job Centre Plus as unemployed. Street League will be responsible for determining suitability and eligibility.
Anyone interested in taking up one of the training place is asked to call Joe or Gilian at Street League on 0141 285 6440 or by e-mail to glasgow@streetleague.co.uk
4 January 2012
EXCITING TIMES AHEAD IN 2012
2011 will go down as an important year for Clyde Gateway. Our involvement in a series of construction projects along with the opening of the Red Tree Business Suites in Rutherglen have seen hundreds of local residents recruited and trained as part of the drive to tackle unemployment. But 2012 promises to be even bigger and more exciting as George Redmond, a local councillor for Bridgeton and Dalmarnock and Board Member at Clyde Gateway, explains.
"Clyde Gateway is playing a huge and important part in transforming the East End and the progress during the past year has been quite astonishing. It's incredible to think that 2012 promises to be even better with the completion of three projects at Eastgate, Red Tree Bridgeton and the Olympia, all of which are generating a huge amount of excitement in the community. The National Indoor Sports Arena and the new Velodrome are also opening their doors in 2012 and so there can be no arguments that the good times are returning again to the East End.
"But of course it goes well beyond physical change and the fact we've already helped around 450 people into work or training is what makes me most proud of all that we are doing."
The Eastgate offices , just 300 yards from Bridgeton Cross at the junction of London Road and Brook Street, will open in Spring and become the new Headquarters of Glasgow Community Safety Services (GCSS). Construction of both Red Tree Bridgeton and the Olympia is expected to be completed by late summer which is also the timescale for the completion of the National Indoor Sports Arena and Velodrome.
9 December 2011
150-STRONG WORKFORCE ON SITE AT EASTGATE
A team of 150 workers are currently fitting out the Eastgate office building to ensure that it opens on time in Spring 2012 for occupation by Glasgow Community & Safety Services.
The 6000 sq m building, which is being funded by Aviva Investments and being built by Dawn Construction, is on time and budget. The external cladding is in place as is all of the glazing, and the majority of on-going works are connected with the internal fit-out.
Councillor George Redmond, a member of the Clyde Gateway Board said "The pace of work at Eastgate has been astonishing and everyone locally is delighted that everything is on schedule to open early next year. The whole area around the Cross this past few months has been a hive of activity and all you see every day are workmen in hi-visibility vests going to and from their work or queing up in the sandwich shops and dairies at lunchtime and tea-breaks.
"I’ve also met a fair number of local people who have been working on Eastgate all year long and there’s no doubt they’ve been very happy to have been given the opportunity. I’m really looking forward to the office opening next year and the staff from GCSS coming to the East End and playing their part in the on-going regeneration success story."
Ian Manson, Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said "Eastgate is a very significant project for us as it brings the first 500 permanent office to the area and lays down a marker for what we are capable of delivering. I also think that everyone will be very pleasantly surprised by the sheer quality of Eastgate. It will be as impressive as anything you can find in the city centre and it is being constructed to the very highest of environmental and efficiency-saving standards. It is also just three minutes journey time from the city centre which demonstrates just how great a location Bridgeton and Clyde Gateway is for developments of this kind.”
15 November 2011
LOCAL WORKERS MEET DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER
Exactly two years after a previous visit, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon returned to the CCG Off-Site Manufacturing (OSM) factory at Drumhead Road in Cambuslang and met local people whose lives have been transformed thanks to a unique partnership involving Clyde Gateway.
Ms Sturgeon visited the site of the factory in November 2009 and at the time announced that up to 50 new manufacturing jobs would be created, many of which would be targeted at people living in the East End and Rutherglen. The factory is now fully operational and CCG have so far taken on 30 workers with more expected to be added in the coming months.
Clyde Gateway has been working with CCG to deliver a £120,000 package of support covering recruitment, training and on-the-job development to ensure that vacancies are filled locally.
The Deputy First Minister said, "It is fantastic to see this factory up and running - both for the construction sector in Glasgow and for the people involved."
"The 2014 Commonwealth Games will be a huge boost to our economy and will provide a springboard for regeneration in some of our most deprived communities right here in Glasgow. This factory is a wonderful example of the work Clyde Gateway is doing to help local residents take advantage of job and training opportunities and reducing barriers to unemployment. It has made a real difference to these people's lives."
"We are investing millions of pounds and working hard to ensure that people in the East End of Glasgow and businesses and communities across Scotland benefit from the Games. This is an investment in Scotland's future, a lasting legacy we can be proud of and the kind of partnership between the public and private sector that we need."
CCG employee, Paul Doherty said, "After a lengthy period without work, I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to be taken on at the factory back in August 2010. I'm not exaggerating when I say that my life has been transformed as a result. "
"I'm very proud to be living proof that Clyde Gateway really is making a difference across our communities."
The Deputy First Minster was shown round the premises by Alistair Wylie, the Managing Director at CCG, together with Steven Earlie, the Manager of the OSM accompanied by Neil MacDonald and Ian Manson, the Chair and Chief Executive respectively of Clyde Gateway.
Alistair Wylie said "We're proud of what we have achieved in such a short time since opening the Cambuslang factory and the local workforce have been fantastic. We're all looking forward to starting work early next year on some of the houses that will be part of the Athletes Village for the 2014 Commonwealth Games."
Ian Manson said "It’s great to see the results of our partnership with CCG here at the OSM factory. This clearly shows that the people living in our communities are ready, willing and able to take up those job opportunities that come to the area, which is superb news for any businesses and employers looking to invest within Clyde Gateway."
CCG is one of the three housebuilders who have come together to form the City Legacy consortium to construct the Games Village. Further information can be found at www.citylegacy.co.uk
2 November 2011
NEW CHAIRMAN APPOINTED
Neil MacDonald has been appointed as the new independent chair of Clyde Gateway, Scotland’s biggest urban regeneration company.
He takes over with immediate effect from Dr Robert Crawford who stood down on 31 October after three and a half years in the post, and in doing so steps up to the position having himself been a Clyde Gateway Board member since March 2008.
Neil has enjoyed a successful career in business and industry - on the shop floor, in management and at boardroom level - for almost 50 years. A design engineer by training, his career with a number of prestigious engineering, energy and ship-building firms has seen him work all over the world. He now lives and works in Lanark as proprietor of LEADERS, a management, investment and business consultancy and also holds a number of highly prominent positions in the private and public sectors, past and present.
He is chair of Barr & Wray (Holdings) PLC, a Glasgow-based firm that is a renowned leader in the construction of swimming pools and spa facilities and is also chair of Martin Aerospace Ltd, a Lanark-based firm which supplies precision manufactured products to a number of world-class companies including Rolls-Royce.
Neil is a member of the SMART Scotland Advisory Panel. In the past he sat on a number of Advisory Boards which assisted with the industrial development and investment activities of Scottish Enterprise and he is also a past chair of local training and enterprise trusts in Cumbernauld, East Kilbride and Hamilton.
Neil has been involved with Clyde Gateway since March 2008, sitting on the URC Board as the nominated member for the private sector from South Lanarkshire and has been chair of the Clyde Gateway Audit & Evaluation Committee since November 2008.
Neil said “This is a hugely exciting time to take over from Robert Crawford as the chair at Clyde Gateway and I’m delighted that the three partners at Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Enterprise have given me the opportunity.”
“I’ve been hugely impressed with the unique approach to regeneration that Clyde Gateway has taken since its inception. It is an organisation that is already delivering on the ground responding to the needs and wishes of local residents and businesses alike and it is in a great position to help ensure a meaningful and sustainable legacy from all its own activities and the developments associated with the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
“As a Board Member since early 2008, I’ve already seen close-up the excellent work of Ian Manson and his talented team of staff. As chair, I intend to use my knowledge and experience to help quietly steer the company along over the next few critical years and to help ensure the fantastic but necessary work continues to deliver a physical, social and economic transformation of the communities in Bridgeton, Dalmarnock, Rutherglen and Shawfield.”
Ian Manson, the Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said “Neil MacDonald has been a tremendous supporter of Clyde Gateway ever since we were established and his appointment as our new chair is very welcome news. He is incredibly well respected in both the private and public sectors and has a tremendous depth of knowledge and experience that we are very fortunate to be able to take advantage of in the times ahead.”
The Clyde Gateway Board has eleven members in total – two from each of the partners (Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Enterprise), two business representative and two representatives from the local communities as well as the independent chair. The role of the chair, as with all Board members, is an unpaid one, with a commitment of up to three days per month.
13 September 2011
PARTNERSHIP APPROACH TO DEVELOP CUNINGAR LOOP
Situated at a distinctive bend on the River Clyde not far from the Farme Cross area of Rutherglen, Cuningar Loop is a 27 hectare site, mostly made up of vacant scrub land. It sits directly across the water from the site of the 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletes Village, which is currently under construction.
It has always been an important site in the history of Rutherglen and over the past two hundred years it has had several industrial uses including water works, quarrying and mining. After a short period of time as a landfill, the site has been unused for over 40 years becoming increasingly difficult for public access, but all that could soon change thanks to an imaginative partnership between Clyde Gateway and Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS).
The organisations are working together to restore Cuningar Loop to an exciting area of public green space with a proposal to develop a woodland park with sport and health at its heart. This will build on the unique character of the space and with the extensive planting of trees and shrubs, as well as the investment in new facilities, will allow the site to be developed as a unique visitor attraction.
FCS is taking the project forward through its WIAT (Woods In and Around Towns) programme and has demonstrated its commitment through joint funding which includes the joint recruitment of a member of staff to work in the Clyde Gateway offices at Bridgeton Cross.
Ian Manson, Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said “Our work to transform the communities that we cover, including Rutherglen and Shawfield, require a wide range of imaginative solutions to different problems. The unique nature of Cuningar Loop, and its importance as a green space in this part of South Lanarkshire, has led us to work up the idea of a new forest, complete with safe and secure walkways.”
The initial investigation works are costing £400,000 and are being split equally between Clyde Gateway and the Forestry Commission Scotland. This activity has been underway since mid 2011 and once completed will lead to up to a further £3.1m of investment to allow the full project, to be completed by the summer of 2014.
Stuart Chalmers, the District Forester with FCS said “This is an ambitious and exciting project which will provide an active and green heart in this important urban regeneration area, as well as a valuable legacy to the Commonwealth Games in 2014.”
Once the initial proposals have been worked up into development ideas, Clyde Gateway and FCS will be asking local residents and businesses for their views and opinions through a public consultation process. The date for this will most likely be early 2012 with the venue being Rutherglen Town Hall or another nearby building. Full details will be made available through websites, adverts, posters and leaflets.
Further information on the WIAT programme, including Cuningar Loop can be found at http://www.forestry.gov.uk/wiat
9 August 2011
WORK TO GET UNDERWAY AT DALMARNOCK STATION
Work on the reconstruction of Dalmarnock railway station involving the building of a replacement footbridge, the installation of a lift to ensure it complies with disability access legislation, the resurfacing of the platforms, the introduction of passenger information boards as well as a rebuilt entrance office fronting on to Dalmarnock Road. is to start by the end of August 2011 with an official completion date of November 2013, although project managers are privately confident that it will be finished ahead of schedule, in summer 2013.
Funding for the upgrade has been provided by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, Glasgow City Council and Clyde Gateway, together with a grant of £2.8m from European Regional Development Fund secured last year. The project is being overseen by Government agency Transport Scotland and delivered by Network Rail. The exact cost is expected to become clear when the main construction contract is signed, although it is expected to be lower than the £9m budgeted for.
Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, said the award of a preparatory works contract represented a "milestone" in its progress. "The award of this preparatory works contract marks a milestone in the delivery of the Dalmarnock Rail Station Refurbishment, an important factor in the Commonwealth Games and East End Regeneration work.
"Transport Scotland is working closely with Network Rail to identify opportunities that may bring the project completion date forward and we are confident that delivery will be achieved in good time for the Games."
A Network Rail spokesman added: "A contract for preparatory works at Dalmarnock station has been awarded and a contract for the main works will be awarded shortly. We expect to be on-site this month."
Councillor George Redmond, a Board member of Clyde Gateway and whose constituency includes Dalmarnock said "The upgrade of this station is long overdue and I’m delighted the combined efforts of Clyde Gateway, the Council and SPT have brought us to this position that work is about to begin. The new-look station and transport hub will not only be an important aspect for the 2014 Games but a key part of the plans to regenerate the Dalmarnock area through new businesses, commercial developments, offices and houses."
8 August 2011
ROAD IMPROVEMENTS AT FRENCH STREET/DORA STREET. SOUTH DALMARNOCK
A 20-week programme of improvements to the road surfaces and pedestrian footways at French Street and Dora Street in South Dalmarnock got underway today. The cost of the works is £1.275m of which Clyde Gateway has contributed just over £1m.
The works will involve complete new carriageway and footway reconstruction of the full length of French Street and Dora Street up to the junctions with the East End Regeneration Route and Swanston Street, laying granite kerbs with new surface water drainage system and installing new lighting.
The main contractor is TAL Civil Engineering Ltd. While every effort will be made to maintain loading/unloading facilities within the area affected, Glasgow City Council have advised some disruption will be inevitable and it may be necessary for local residents and businesses to liaise with the contractor regarding deliveries/rubbish removal etc, as work progresses.
26 July 2011
£23 MILLION OF INVESTMENT PROVIDES CABINET SECRETARY WITH THE 'WOW' FACTOR
Alex Neil MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment today (26 July) re-visited Bridgeton Cross, Glasgow one year on and said he was ‘highly impressed’ with progress being made on three Clyde Gateway projects with a combined value of over £23 million which will bring 620 permanent jobs to the area.
The Red Tree Business Suites, Bridgeton sees £3.6million being spent on the conversion of the upper-floor of derelict shops and businesses at 21-51 Dalmarnock Road to provide thirty stylish and affordable business units in a variety of sizes for small and medium sized enterprises, which when fully occupied will provide 50 jobs. Construction work, being undertaken by Cruden, began in May 2011 and is scheduled to be completed by May 2012.
The £10m conversion of the Olympia Theatre, a 100-year old listed building that previously served as a theatre, cinema and bingo hall but has lain derelict for almost 20 years is being undertaken by CCG and got underway in March 2011 with a scheduled finish of November 2012. The Olympia will then become home to a new state-of the art library, a centre of excellence for Amateur Boxing in Scotland as well as two floors of commercial office space, all of which will support 70 jobs.
Work on Eastgate, which is Glasgow’s largest new-build office development (6,000 sq m) on London Road just 300 yards east of Bridgeton Cross is being carried out by Dawn Construction. Eastgate will be ready for occupation in Spring 2012 as the home to the 500 employees of Glasgow Community and Safety Services, a partnership organisation between the police and fire services and Glasgow City Council to prevent crime, tackle anti-social behaviour and promote community safety across the city. The £9.7 million cost of Eastgate is being provided by Aviva Investors, the UK’s largest real estate manager.
In addition to the 620 permanent jobs the three locations will provide, at peak activity, 95 construction workers with employment.
Alex Neil said “I am delighted to revisit the Bridgeton projects and see the progress being made as part of the regeneration of the East End of Glasgow.
“It is encouraging to see derelict properties take on a new life as they are redeveloped to meet the modern needs of our local communities. These in turn will serve to provide much needed jobs in the area and offer a variety of facilities for local people to enjoy for years to come.”
George Redmond, the local councillor for Bridgeton and a Clyde Gateway Board member said “All three of these projects are improving how the area around Bridgeton Cross looks and of course they are bringing much welcomed jobs to the community. But the impact of this unprecedented level of investment goes much further than that.
“The Dalmarnock Road shops have been an eyesore and a blight on Bridgeton for years, while the Olympia has towered over the Cross as a symbol of the area’s proud heritage. Everyone you speak to locally is hugely excited by all of this activity and looking forward to everything opening over the 18 months. I’m particularly pleased with the progress on Eastgate as the 500 staff from GCSS will be the first wave of what will eventually be tens of thousands of jobs attracted to Clyde Gateway over the coming years.
Alan Macdonald, chairman of Dawn Group, said: “Construction is progressing well at Eastgate and once complete it will really transform this area of Bridgeton, both in physical and economic terms, and act as a catalyst for further regeneration.
“Along with the £200m Collegelands development, this is our second major project currently on the ground in the east end of Glasgow and we want to ensure that it leaves a lasting positive impact. As one of Scotland’s leading constructions companies, we are committed to creating employment and training opportunities for local residents during the construction period to equip them with valuable experience and transferable skills which will stand them in good stead long after the development is complete.”
19 July 2011
CABINET SECRETARY OPENS NEW BUSINESS CENTRE IN RUTHERGLEN
Alex Neil MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment has officially opened a new business Centre which has the potential to bring 40 new jobs to Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire.
Red Tree Business Suites Rutherglen provides 11 stylish and affordable business units in a variety of sizes for small and medium sized enterprises in a prime location in the very centre of the town.
Red Tree Rutherglen is a development being taken forward by Clyde Gateway, the urban regeneration company which covers the East End of Glasgow as well as Rutherglen and Shawfield in South Lanarkshire as part of its on-going efforts to help Rutherglen Town Centre have a viable future and bring new jobs to the area.
The development, which was the conversion of a former housing office on Stonelaw Road, was completed at the beginning of June, and within the first three weeks, four of the suites had been snapped up. All four of the early tenants are small sized businesses with ambitions for growth. Three of them have two employees within each of the suites while the fourth currently has 9 staff. With a full-time receptionist also working at Red Tree, a total of 16 jobs have already been created.
Alex Neil said "It is my pleasure to open the Red Tree Business Suites - a top quality facility that will support companies interested in locating to, or expanding within, the Clyde Gateway area.
"We are committed to the Clyde Gateway project, one of the most ambitious regeneration projects in Scotland. That is why we have provided over £70 million to Clyde Gateway so far.
"The fact that it has emerged ahead of schedule is a tangible sign of the confidence that business has in the economic future of Scotland, and of this area in particular."
"Together with the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Clyde Gateway's plans have the potential to transform one of the most deprived areas of our country. They can help provide new housing, jobs, retail and leisure facilities, attracting additional investment and allowing local people to take advantage of the many new opportunities on offer."
The total cost of the conversion of the Housing Office was £1.6 million, of which Clyde Gateway is contributed just under £1 million with a grant of £650,000 being awarded by the European Regional Development Fund.
Ian Manson, the Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said “Red Tree Rutherglen is part of ours and South Lanarkshire Council’s ambitions to ensure a sustainable future for the town centre. Our top priority is to bring new jobs to all the communities within Clyde Gateway and the suites at Red Tree are just the beginning for Rutherglen.
“I’m delighted at the early interest that has been shown in Red Tree Rutherglen and we have seen four of the eleven suites occupied almost immediately the day building work ended. There is clearly a demand for affordable business spaces of this quality in such a prime location and over the coming months we will be working hard to fill the remaining units and bring more jobs to the town Once the remaining suites have been let, as many as 40 jobs could be accommodated within Red Tree.”
“Rutherglen is a fantastic location, particularly thanks to its excellent public transport links. There aren’t many towns in Scotland that can boast of at least twelve trains per hour all day long as well as regular bus services to Glasgow and all corners of South Lanarkshire. These are the sort of things which are becoming ever increasingly important to businesses and employers.
Further information on the Red Tree Business Suites can be found at www.redtreebusinesssuites.co.uk
14 July 2011
£14 MILLION PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN CLYDE GATEWAY EAST
Two leading UK property development companies have signed deals to invest £14m in Clyde Gateway East business park in the East End of Glasgow.
SCOT Sheridan and MEPC will build respectively, 60,000 sq ft and 140,000 sq feet of industrial units on the site, which has lain undeveloped for almost 40 years. The overall investment is worth £14m and will support 700 jobs in one of the highest unemployment areas of Scotland.
The deals have already been hailed by Alex Neil, the Scottish Government’s infrastructure and capital investment secretary, as the first major spin-off from the opening on June 28 of the completed M74 – which passes within yards of the site, and whose Junction 2a leads directly into the business park.
Clyde Gateway East is a new business park on a long-derelict and brownfield site extending to 36 acres at a location four miles south-east of Glasgow city centre.
It is a strategic development with capacity of approximately 400,000 sq ft of business space. It has planning consent for business, general industrial and storage and distribution uses.
The decision by Clyde Gateway to purchase the site and proceed with the development is linked to the proximity of Junction 2a of the completed M74, which opened on June 28.
The total cost of the final development of Clyde Gateway East has been estimated at £35m, and the Masterplan for the site has identified the potential to accommodate up to 1,350 jobs.
Clyde Gateway purchased the site from Scottish Enterprise in March 2009 and adopted a strategy to remediate and provide the requisite infrastructure with a view to de-risking development opportunities for the private sector. In March 2010, Sir Robert McAlpine was appointed as contractor to deliver these initial works which have been completed to coincide with the M74 extension opening.
The first phase of development was sought through a public procurement exercise and will be delivered by SCOT Sheridan, with MEPC as funding partner. It will involve the construction of 60,000 sq ft of speculative industrial development units in three separate buildings of 17,000 sq ft, 20,000 sq ft and 23,000 sq ft.
A planning application has been lodged, with an anticipated site start of September 2011 and completion by April 2012. This will be the first major speculative new-build development scheme to be undertaken in Scotland for over three years.
In tandem with the public procurement exercise, an approach was made to Clyde Gateway by MEPC to acquire further plots at Clyde Gateway East, capable of accommodating another 140,000 sq ft of industrial units to accommodate bespoke requirements, design and build enquiries and subsequent speculative development.
Clyde Gateway, SCOT Sheridan and MEPC have, in addition, agreed a joint marketing and management strategy for Clyde Gateway East. The marketing agents for the first phase being provided by SCOT Sheridan are Ryden and CBRE, and all parties are encouraged by the early positive responses from the market.
SCOT Sheridan Director David MacLachlan said “We believe that this is one of the best industrial sites in west central Scotland and when combined with the modern, flexible business accommodation we intend to build, will have great appeal for potential tenants. The fact that we are building on a speculative basis shows our strong belief that the site has the potential to attract leading businesses and hundreds of jobs and will play a significant role in the regeneration of the area.”
MEPC CEO Rick de Blaby said: “It’s an important strategic acquisition for us, where we hope to replicate and deliver a modern Hillington Park. The infrastructure that Clyde Gateway has committed to this area of Glasgow is enormous and we are happy to invest alongside that.”
Clyde Gateway’s Executive Director of Development Steve Pritchard said “This investment by is the most important day so far in Clyde Gateway’s three-year history. Our vision and ambition for the area can only be achieved if the private sector is willing to back our judgement and bring investment to the various development opportunities we are delivering to the market. It is highly significant that MEPC and SCOTSheridan, two of the most highly respected and prominent firms in the commercial property industry, are prepared to invest in and take up 50% of the capacity of Clyde Gateway East, the first of what will be many large-scale developments within the East End and in South Lanarkshire, and it really does bode well for the future.”
26 May 2011
OLYMPIA BOXING CLEVER AS £10 MILLION REVAMP BEGINS
Work has begun on a £10m project to bring the historic Olympia Theatre in Bridgeton back into use exactly 100 years after its initial opening.
Clyde Gateway is spending £10m purchasing and converting the building into a public library and café, sports facilities for elite amateur boxers and high-quality commercial office spaces. The 18-month scheme was developed after extensive consultations during 2009 and 2010 during which local residents and business owners asked Clyde Gateway to purchase the disused Theatre and find a new and viable use for the building.
George Redmond, the local councillor for the Bridgeton area and Board Member of Clyde Gateway, said: “I am absolutely delighted to see this work begin. The Olympia is a hugely important symbol of Bridgeton’s rich heritage and local residents have been anxious for a long time to both save the building and allow future generations of Eastenders to enjoy it.
“This new lease of life for the Olympia will improve the health, wellbeing and education of local residents. The community is genuinely excited about the project and are thrilled at the idea of the facilities that will be at the very heart of Bridgeton Cross. It is also a key part of the overall Clyde Gateway regeneration for the area as well as a true legacy from Glasgow hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games.”
Upon completion in November 2012 the Olympia will comprise: a public library and cafe; high performance centre and HQ for the National Governing Body for Amateur Boxing; and commercial lettable office space.
Built as a theatre in 1911, the Category B Listed building also served as a cinema for 50 years. It has lain derelict for almost two decades and was severely damaged by fire in 2004. Its purchase by Clyde Gateway was the first time the building had been in public ownership.
The £10m costs of purchase and restoration has attracted funding from a wide range of sources including Clyde Gateway, The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), Historic Scotland, Glasgow City Council’s Better Glasgow Fund, Scottish Government’s Town Centre Regeneration Fund, sportscotland, the Glasgow Trades House and the Hugh Fraser Foundation.
The new Olympia building will take the following shape:
Ground floor – Public library and cafe
Public Library with integrated cafe facility and multi functional space to accommodate a range of leisure and educational activities. Specific archives will be created on local history, music hall and cinematic history and specific sport history focussed on Glasgow.
First floor – Elite Boxers training centre
High performance centre for elite athletes in Boxing – one of the core sports in the Commonwealth Games and one with a rich tradition in the East End of Glasgow. Amateur Boxing Scotland have an option to relocate their HQ within the Olympia.
Second and Third floors – Office space
Commercial lettable office space, totalling 10,000 sq ft, adjacent to Bridgeton Railway Station.
The contract to re-develop the Olympia was awarded to the Glasgow-based firm of CCG (Scotland) Ltd following a competitive tender process. As part of the community benefits clauses insisted upon by Clyde Gateway in all of its main contracts, CCG will provide a minimum of eight local residents with jobs or training places during the construction process.
Jimmy McLellan is a local resident who sits on a local community steering group that advises Clyde Gateway. He said “The re-opening of the Olympia in November 2012 will be one of the best things to happen in the Bridgeton area for decades. We are all excited by the idea of the library and café being the home to all sorts of activities for residents of all ages as well as the plans for the boxers on the upstairs floor. It is incredible to think that after so many years of neglect, this fabulous old building, which holds so many incredible memories for so many people in the community, will soon be re-opening its doors and bringing a whole new vibrancy to the area.”
The Olympia opened in September 1911 was envisaged as Glasgow’s equivalent of the Palladium Theatre in London. It has served as a variety theatre, cinema, bingo hall and furniture shop before closing its doors in 1993. The building suffered major fire damage in 2004 but in the intervening period the site had received planning permission to be converted into flatted accommodation.
6 April 2011
NEW PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE OVER RIVER CLYDE SET FOR CONSTRUCTION
Clyde Gateway has unveiled plans to construct a new pedestrian bridge that will span the River Clyde and link the communities of Dalmarnock and Shawfield.
The bridge is an important part of proposals being developed to create a new National Business District in Shawfield as it will provide quick access to and from the new transport hub which is to be developed around Dalmarnock Station over the next three years. The construction of the bridge will half the walking time from the station to the National Business District to under 10 minutes.
The National Business District will be the re-development of the area that is bounded by the south bank of the River Clyde, Shawfield Stadium and Glasgow Road in Rutherglen. The cost of the bridge has been set at £4.75m of which £1.9m will be a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund.
Ian Manson, the Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said "The re-development of the Shawfield area is every bit as important as our work to deliver physical, social and economic change in the East End of Glasgow. There are big chunks of land in Shawfield that require substantial investment to remove contamination, and since day one of Clyde Gateway being established, delivering on this has been a priority."
"We see Shawfield, with its superb location on the south bank of the River Clyde, not far from the city centre or the historic burgh of Rutherglen, as an area of enormous potential. We want to establish a newly designated National Business District, adjacent to the completed M74 Motorway, as a location more than capable of being the home to thousands of new jobs in years to come."
"The smart-bridge is part of a vision and strategy to deliver infrastructure and development within Shawfield and Dalmarnock. It is very pleasing to receive this additional funding through Europe, but we are also delighted and see it as highly significant that support is being given to something which is part of our medium and longer term efforts to create jobs and bring investment."
The work on the bridge is due to start in late 2012 with a completion date of mid 2013 which ties in with the completion of the £8m redevelopment of Dalmarnock Station and the transport hub.
1 March 2011
EYESORE BUILDING TO BE GIVEN £3.6MILLION MAKEOVER
Work is set to get underway on a multi-million project that will both transform a Bridgeton eyesore and have the potential to bring 45 new jobs to the East End of the city.
Clyde Gateway is to convert the upper floor premises at 21-51 Dalmarnock Road that have lain vacant and derelict for more than 20 years into business suites as part of its on-going plans to help transform the local communities, and in particular to revitalise the economy of the area around Bridgeton Cross.
Going by the name of ‘Red Tree Business Suites Bridgeton’, the project will create just under 18,000 square feet of flexible, stylish and affordable business space, consisting of up to thirty-five office units, starting from 200 square feet in size. The total cost of the project is £3.6m, of which Clyde Gateway is contributing £2.46m with a grant of £1.14m being awarded by the European Regional Development Fund.
George Redmond, the local councillor for the Bridgeton and Dalmarnock area and a Clyde Gateway Board member said “These properties have lain vacant for decades and they’ve been a total eyesore and a blight on the area. Bringing them back into use was something asked of Clyde Gateway during our earliest consultations with local residents, and I’m delighted that we are going to do so in a way that will not only improve how the area looks but will also bring vital new jobs to Bridgeton”.
“When you also add in the work already carried out at Bridgeton Cross, the plans for re-opening the Olympia Building as well as the new Eastgate office development at nearby Brook Street, it is clear that Clyde Gateway is delivering on its promises to deliver a physical, economic and social transformation of the communities in the East End.”
Ian Manson, the Chief Executive of Clyde Gateway said “It is vitally important for the area around Bridgeton Cross to have a viable future and bringing new jobs to the area is one way of ensuring this”.
“500 staff from Glasgow Community Safety Services will be here in just over a year’s time, and they will be joined by another 45 professionals once the Red Tree Business Suites are fully occupied.”
He added, “What Clyde Gateway is offering at the Red Tree Business Suites, both at Bridgeton and a sister development we are undertaking at Stonelaw Road, Rutherglen is something very attractive to start-up businesses as well as those existing firms and companies who want to occupy modern open-plan spaces at a very affordable and attractive rental.
“Bridgeton is a fantastic location, particularly thanks to its excellent public transport links, with very regular and reliable train services that will get you to Glasgow city centre in under five minutes as well as directly to many parts of South Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire. These are the sort of things which are becoming ever increasingly important to businesses and employers.”
Clyde Gateway has purchased all of the upper-floor properties at 21-51 Dalmarnock Road as well as some of the ground-floor locations to allow the best possible design and access points to the Business Suites.
The contract to convert the properties has been awarded to the Glasgow-based firm of Crudens who were successful following a competitive tender process. Crudens will be move on-site in April 2011 and it will take 12 months to complete work.
As part of the community benefits clauses insisted upon by Clyde Gateway in all of their projects, Crudens will be provide two jobs and one training place for local residents and carry out some improvements to the nearby Bridgeton Community Learning Campus.
Although the conversion will not be completed until early 2012, Clyde Gateway will soon begin to market the property through letting agents with the aim of having the first occupants move in immediately once the building is ready.
Red Tree Business Suites Bridgeton is the second set of affordable office suites to be delivered by Clyde Gateway.
Work on Red Tree Business Suites Rutherglen, which involves the conversion of the former Housing Office on Stonelaw Road, began in November 2010 and will be ready for occupation from the end of May 2011.