A major new regeneration project is starting on site in Glasgow's east end due to Glasgow City Council's commitment to pre-let office space within the development.

Work will start imminently on the £200m Collegelands development, located on a vacant site at High Street/Duke Street, in the east of the city.

Glasgow City Council's decision to secure 102,000 square feet of office space in the development, for use by its Development and Regeneration Services and some Culture & Sport Glasgow staff, has enabled work to begin on the first phase of the project.

The move is part of the Council's city centre office rationalisation plan which has brought forward options to modernise the council's office accommodation and working practices, while reducing property occupation costs.

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A deal was reached in 2006 with developer TDI Ltd (a joint venture company majority owned by Dawn Group with minority shareholding held by Chiltern Group) for the former Council-owned site, which extends to some 6.81 hectares. The site had previously lain empty for more than 25 years.

Phase one of Collegelands includes: 102,000 square feet of office space, 200-bedroom hotel, with restaurant and meeting rooms etc., 250 student accommodation units, offering 600 bed spaces, 1,100 space multi-storey car park.

As part of this phase additional off-street car parking and new internal roads (within the overall site) will also be constructed.

In total, Collegelands has planning permission for more than 1.1m square feet of space. Phase one is expected to be completed by summer 2011.

The site will generate a major boost to the Glasgow economy including: 2,950 gross additional jobs once the site is fully developed, £110m per annum addition to the economy, 1,100 construction jobs over the build period.

Collegelands will have a unique identity, with a red brick warehouse feel, high quality landscaping, with a water feature on the southern edge of the development adjacent to protected leisure and recreational green space.

Councillor George Ryan, executive member for business and the economy, said: "The commencement of the Collegelands project is a major regeneration boost within Glasgow. Not only will it deliver new homes but also a sizeable amount of commercial and office space, which will in effect create a new business district for the city."

(GK/JM)