Building Services North has been awarded a £3.1m contract for the refurbishment of a17-storey office block to create a new hotel in Glasgow city centre.

This project for client Mansell and ultimate client Whitbread Plc involves the design, supply and installation of mechanical and electrical services for the conversion of St Andrews House in West Nile Street from offices to a 210-bedroom hotel and retail accommodation.

The project is currently the largest hotel development being carried out by Premier Inn, the hotel chain owned by Whitbread.

Premier Inn will occupy the former office tower and most of the 17-storey tower and two/three storey podium which was constructed in the early 1960s, one of the first high-rise buildings in the city.

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James Kilpatrick (later to be called Balfour Kilpatrick) was involved with the installation of the original tower in 1963 and Brian Reid, senior contracts manager said after a recent visit: “I was in the switch room and the old James Kilpatrick signs are still visible on the panels.”

The building will be stripped back to the reinforced concrete structure, refurbished and reclad. The hotel will provide conference and restaurant facilities on the first and second floor levels as part of the refurbishment extending out over the current second floor roof.

This is the first office to hotel conversion project in Scotland to benefit from the Business Premises Renovation Allowances Scheme which is a government initiative introduced to encourage the conversion and renovation of empty properties in key areas.

Alan Baxter will oversee the contract for BBES which will start in August 2011 and is due for completion in May 2012. The consultant is Clancy Consulting and the architect is Ryder Architects.

(GK)