'Heritage Led' Plan Lodged To Transform Iconic Glasgow Building

Sandy and James Easdale outside Watts Bros

A 'heritage-led ' £23million plan to transform Glasgow's former Watt Brothers store into a boutique hotel has been lodged with the city council.

The applicant - Iconic Watt Limited - has lodged a revised planning application, including listed building consent, to develop the B-listed art deco building at 119-121 Sauchiehall Street.

The former department store was purchased by billionaire businessmen brothers Sandy and James Easdale a year after Watt Brothers collapsed in 2019 after more than 100 years trading.

Planning consent has recently been approved by the council for a development at the former Mothercare store next to the historic building.

The site will be developed into a bar and restaurant on the ground and basement floors, with the upper floors converted into serviced apartments.

A previous £20million plan by the Easdale brothers to develop the landmark building into a boutique hotel, luxury residences and a shopping complex was rejected by the council in 2022 because it failed to comply with the Development Plan.

The proposed rooftop extension was "deemed incongruous and unsympathetic to the listed building."

The new application follows extensive consultation with Glasgow City Council and Historic Environment Scotland (HES). The proposed development is for a change of use of the building "from department store to boutique hotel with a roof extension and ground floor front of house operations."

The 100-room hotel, if approved, will include a fitness suite and storage for 22 bikes. All rooms will be en-suite and will vary in size, with six "accessible rooms" provided.

The plan includes restoration of the roof turrets to "preserve their architectural integrity" and states that wherever possible, the original fabric of the building is "retained and celebrated".

The hotel reception would be accessed from the ground floor on Hope Street, with this part of the building also including a bar and seating area and office areas.

All existing shopfronts on Sauchiehall with their original details will be retained. The fourth and fifth floors will include a roof terrace, which can be accessed by guests of an adjacent suite.

"To minimise the visual impact of the proposed vertical extension, on the new upper floors, there is a setback to reduce visual impacts and ensure that the original features and proportions remain dominant when viewed at street level."

A two-storey vertical extension is planned on what would be the fifth floor, which will allow the inclusion of an additional 20 rooms.

Sandy and James Easdale’s adviser Jack Irvine said: “We are looking at a £23-25million investment in this project on top of the £2m Sandy and James have spent to keep the fabric of the building in good order during its closure.

"The brothers feel these plans will fit in beautifully with the council’s optimistic vision for the city centre whilst retaining our architectural heritage.”    

Councillor Ruairi Kelly, Convener for Development and Heritage at Glasgow City Council said the plan was great news for the centre and in particular for Sauchiehall Street, which has suffered a major downturn in recent years due to business closures and two devastating fires.

He said: "I think it's a real vote of confidence and renewed optimism in the city.

"You can see that with that and a number of other plans that are either underway or that city planners are in discussions about there's a real sense of momentum, particularly around Sauchiehall Street.

"I'm particularly delighted to see the restoration of important historic buildings in the city and the work of the built heritage commission looks to support this wherever we can in the city."

A pre-application consultation with planning and design teams agreed that the layout was "largely sympathetic" to the existing character of the building but some additions were requested including increased cycle provision.

Watt Brothers was founded by Allan Watt in 1915, growing from a small drapery shop in Elmbank Street to a Glasgow institution.

Former Watt Brothers staff secured payouts totalling £125,000 after the firm's collapse.

The building was recorded by the threatened buildings survey in 2022 and was lodged in the Buildings at Risk register, which is managed by HES.

This article was featured in The Herald.