New student housing planned for Finnieston.

A planning application for a mixed-use development on a former car dealership site in Glasgow is set to undergo revisions to include student accommodation, replacing a residential block in the proposal. Keltbray Developments is reimagining its project situated between Minerva Street, West Greenhill Place, and Finnieston Street.

In February, Glasgow City Council granted approval for a development comprising 394 rental apartments spread across two blocks. The plans also included rooftop gardens, a gym, co-working spaces, meeting rooms, function rooms, greenhouses, growing areas, residents’ lounges, retail space, a public square, and a new east-west pedestrian and cycle-priority street.

The developer is currently engaging in consultations regarding the modifications. One of the residential blocks will be transformed into student accommodation. The adjustments to Feilden Clegg Bradley’s designs will focus on the functional requirements necessary for this change, such as alterations to window and balcony sizes, and a reconfigured interior layout.

Another exciting addition to the development is a retail space on Finnieston Street, set to be occupied by an M&S foodstore.

A statement on the project website elucidates, “The materiality and design concept of the proposal remain unchanged, with a continued emphasis on providing high-quality public open spaces. The substitution of a residential block with purpose-built student accommodation addresses a specific need for student housing in the area and aligns with the decrease in demand for build-to-rent developments in Glasgow.

“The visual appearance and design approach of the scheme have undergone minimal changes to accommodate this shift.”