George Square is to benefit from a major £15 million refurbishment. The first step in the makeover process will be a public consultation which will run during the summer months.
Glasgow City Council has announced plans to refurbish George
Square, upgrading and modernising the city centre space. The revamp
will ensure that the square can be used more effectively, both as
an area to host major outdoor events, and as an open area in the
centre of the city where local people and tourists can enjoy
watching the world go by.
Announcing the plans to spend up to £15m on the redevelopment,
Gordon Matheson, leader of the Council said that it should be
up to the people of Glasgow to decide what they want to see happen
to the civic heart of the city. However, the Cenotaph
must stay where it is and the current red surface is expected to
go.
The last major facelift of George Square was 14 years ago when
two flowerbeds were taken up, trees chopped down and a bright-red
surface was laid.
Mr Matheson is convinced the price of the work will be worth it,
saying: "The economic benefit to Glasgow from the 2.3million
visitors we had last year was £595m.
"We need to continue to invest in our city if we are going to drive
business tourism and convention delegates and, above all others,
create a space which Glaswegians can love and be proud of.
"The costs involved will be a fraction of the economic benefit
which will accrue to the city. I will be looking for work to
commence towards the second half of 2013 but it will need to be
completed in two phases because we want the city to be looking its
absolute best for the Commonwealth Games.
"By then, I would be looking for a striking, notable improvement in
the quality of the square and it must be open and fully in
use.
Mr Matheson is convinced the price of the work will be worth it,
saying: "The economic benefit to Glasgow from the 2.3million
visitors we had last year was £595m. We need to continue to
invest in our city if we are going to drive business tourism and
convention delegates and, above all others, create a space which
Glaswegians can love and be proud of.
"The costs involved will be a fraction of the economic benefit
which will accrue to the city. I will be looking for work to
commence towards the second half of 2013 but it will need to be
completed in two phases because we want the city to be looking its
absolute best for the Commonwealth Games.
"By then, I would be looking for a striking, notable improvement
in the quality of the square and it must be open and fully in
use."
Source: Evening Times - Have your say on £15m
redevelopment of George Square