In Spring 2022, Iceni, acting on behalf of Sovereign Centros, submitted an application for planning permission in principle for the redevelopment of the St Enoch Centre. The proposals are to create a vibrant, sustainable, mixed-use development focusing on retail, leisure, entertainment, hotel, office and city centre living.

The St Enoch Centre was built as a covered shopping centre in 1989 and has since become a prominent destination as part of the Glasgow city centre shopping and leisure scene. However, as with retail centres across the country, changes to consumer demands and shopping habits have accelerated in recent years, with alternative options for the site now being explored.

The existing building is highly inefficient, offers limited flexibility for refurbishment to accommodate alternative uses and occupies a significant area of the city, restricting movements between the city centre and the River Clyde.

The masterplan proposals are for the phased demolition of the existing Centre and its replacement with new urban blocks to accommodate a mix of city centre uses and reinstation of the street grid pattern. The demolition of the existing Centre has not been proposed lightly, with alternative options for the maintenance and adaptation being explored first.

The application for planning permission in principle was granted, subject to conditions, by Glasgow City Council on 1^st June 2023.

The proposed development will take place in phases and bring wide-ranging benefits to the City of Glasgow, providing new connections through the site, greening an urban area and enhancing public realm provision, creating fit-for purpose retail accommodation as well as highly sustainable new homes and workplaces. In total, the development should deliver up to 2.5 million sqft of floorspace across the mix of uses.

The redevelopment is already one step closer to commencing with Glasgow City Council approving proposals for the conversion of the former Lewiss department store on Argyle Street (most recently occupied by Debenhams), to office space with a new rooftop restaurant. The conversion of the Category B Listed building to Grade A office space, minutes from Glasgow Central, Argyle Street and Queen Street train stations, will be a huge boost to the city centre and would form an initial phase of the masterplan.

The St Enoch masterplan has seen a multi-disciplinary effort from Iceni with Planning, EIA, Heritage, Transport, Socio-Economics and Health and Archaeology services all being provided.