Virginia Court

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Virginia Court

Postby JayKay » Wed Dec 06, 2006 4:32 pm

this from press release

One of Glasgow’s oldest streetscapes is set to undergo a multi-million pound face-lift, creating the city’s very own Covent Garden.

Credential Holdings has unveiled plans to transform Virginia Court, the last remaining section of the Merchants’ Trail which has not yet been opened up to the public, to create Virginia Court & Galleries, a vibrant shopping and leisure area, set within a gated cobbled wynd which will accommodate boutique shops, including a small department store, restaurants and cafes, and five luxury apartments.

The area is steeped in history and dates back to the 1700s when many of the existing buildings housed the offices and auction rooms of the city’s famous tobacco lords. The location also features the original Stirling’s Library.

Credential plan to open up the site to create the wynd and a courtyard offering a selection of new build and traditional shops from 650 to 5,000 square feet, linking the shopping areas around Princes Square with Candleriggs, creating a golden shopping triangle and café society.

“This area is enriched with history and of significant architectural importance therefore it was essential that we created a development worthy of its heritage. We believe this mix of stylish shops and quality restaurants and cafes will create a unique identity for the area,” said Barrie Clapham, Chief Executive, Credential Holdings.

The ground and basement floors of the original Stirling’s Library will provide retail accommodation of around 6,000 square feet, ideally suited to a small department store, including the new-build rear mews building, which links into the courtyard and features a striking atrium offering further potential for retail or a café.

The upper floors of the Library, which was built in 1864, will provide five luxury residential apartments within undoubtedly one of the city’s most desirable addresses.

The Colonnade building on Miller Street forms the third element in this area’s regeneration and features a stunning façade, offering ground and basement accommodation totaling 14,000 sq ft.

The Colonnade can offer a large singular retail space of 8,000 square feet at street level or two handsome shops of around 4,000 square feet each with spacious basements.

Planning has already been granted and work is scheduled to start in January 2007 with anticipated final completion in summer 2008. Negotiations are progressing now with retailers and restaurateurs.

Further information on Credential Holdings is available from http://www.credentialholdings.com.


Will look like this apparently:

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Postby HollowHorn » Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:14 pm

crusty_bint wrote:Proposal for site of Virginia Galleries

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HollowHorn wrote:
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HollowHorn wrote:Some movement yesterday...the Surveyors were in! Should be a nice study over the coming years :wink:
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Postby crusty_bint » Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:02 pm

This sounds great! Too long awaited!
here i go, it's coming for me through the trees
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Postby HollowHorn » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:35 pm

Evening Times:
Flats to revive historic Virginia Galleries site

DOWN SHE COMES: demolition crews move in to pull down the Virginia Galleries building in the Merchant City two years ago
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FLATS are to be built on the site of a historic building which was flattened when it became unsafe.
Seven years ago, around 40 traders were evacuated from Glasgow's Virginia Galleries after building control officers declared it dangerous.
The A-listed building in the Merchant City, a former tobacco trading house which helped make the city's fortune, lay empty until two years ago when it was reduced to rubble.
It was condemned after cracks appeared at the top of its facade.
Glasgow-based Virginia Court Developments was today expected to get the go-ahead to build 37 flats at upper levels with shops at street level and basement.
Nick Blair, director of architects ZM, said the flats would be aimed at first-time buyers.
He added: "It is very difficult for first-time buyers to get their foot on the property ladder, especially in the Merchant City."
Recently the Evening Times revealed more than 50% of the land and buildings in the Merchant City are lying empty.
Mr Blair said: "This development will see the completion of another part of the jigsaw which makes up the Merchant City, which is good news.
"It is important all these bits and pieces of vacant land and property come together in this area."
He said the development would include a courtyard linking Virginia Street and Miller Street and shops and a restaurant or pub at ground-floor level.
Virginia Galleries was built between 1810 and 1820, operated as a tobacco exchange and in 1972 was converted into a shopping arcade.
In June 1998, work on building new facilities for Marks & Spencer started on the cleared site next to the galleries.
City council development and regeneration director Steve Inch said: "During these operations the gable wall to Virginia Galleries suffered substantial settlement and cracking."
Attempts to restore the building and bring it back into use failed due to lack of cash.
Mr Inch added: "In the intervening period the building continued to deteriorate and parts of the building were moving in different directions. This eventually would have resulted in the collapse of the structure."
Merchant City councillor Gordon Mathieson welcomed the plans for the site.
He said: "There have been difficulties with this site in the past, so it is encouraging to see a classic mixed-use development being applied for.
"Virginia Street is very important in terms of Glasgow's architectural heritage."
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Postby Josef » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:43 pm

HollowHorn wrote:Nick Blair, director of architects ZM, said the flats would be aimed at first-time buyers.
He added: "It is very difficult for first-time buyers to get their foot on the property ladder, especially in the Merchant City."


I take it that it is my over-developed cynical streak that is leading me to interpret this as 'massively over-priced rabbit hutches'?
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Postby HollowHorn » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:47 pm

Penned by the fair hand of our very own Dr. Ronnie:
http://heritage.scotsman.com/places.cfm?id=456212006
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Re: Virginia Court

Postby Fat Cat » Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:07 am

Enough to put anyone right off. WTF is a cafe society - where no-one does any actual work anymore and all sit about, in the Glasgow smir, drinking coffee?

JayKay wrote:creating a golden shopping triangle and café society.

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Postby brickwall » Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:36 am

I love the café lifestyle; the inconvenience of work gets in the way more's
the pity.


How do you spell that inconven....word anyway. Rarely use it.
eh?
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Postby HollowHorn » Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:05 pm

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Re: Virginia Court

Postby HollowHorn » Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:04 am

JayKay wrote:Image

Hmmmmmmm, well they have removed the little roofed tower,
seen here and the drawing above, they removed it very carefuly & the roof slates looked quite healthy, so who knows.
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Postby John » Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:05 am

Brilliant set of photographs Hollowhorn. I have always wanted to have a wander about that site but I guess this is the closest I will ever get.

John
'It's a sad day for capitalism when a man can't fly a midget on a kite over Central Park'
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Postby HollowHorn » Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:10 am

Bollox, the sites wide open every week-day noo ::):
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Postby John » Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:22 am

HollowHorn wrote:Bollox, the sites wide open every week-day noo ::):


Good point but I can't remember the last time I was in the city centre. I will make a special effort next week.
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Postby HollowHorn » Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:33 am

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What does this mean, Crusty?
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Looking back to Virginia St.
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Postby crusty_bint » Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:53 am

I'm not sure the wrought iron scroll work has any special significance, would have been a very common piece of iron-mongery in the city at one time in this case for some form of signage, but you often see gas lamps attached to them in old pics :)
here i go, it's coming for me through the trees
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