The government has shortlisted three office buildings for an HMRC-led requirement of around 200,000 sq ft that will comprise the first phase of a new regional hub in Glasgow.

Glasgow Atlantic Sq HMRC

The Government Property Unit (GPU) has picked:

  • HFD Group’s planned 215,000 sq ft office block at 177 Bothwell Street
  • BAM Property’s 300,000 sq ft Atlantic Square redevelopment
  • Drum Property Group’s planned regeneration of the Tradeston Street area on the banks of the Clyde

Dawn Developments’ regeneration of the 14-acre Collegelands site to the east of the city, by High Street Station, was on a long list of five sites but missed out on the final three, as did a government-owned development site at 220 Broomielaw in the city centre.

The government’s total requirement for Glasgow is between 450,000 sq ft and 600,000 sq ft, and the space will be let primarily to HMRC, market sources said.

It is understood that the government is currently working up its exact requirements before choosing between the three shortlisted properties.

HFD’s building on Bothwell Street is due to be built speculatively after planning permission was secured earlier this year.

A joint venture of BAM Properties and Taylor Clark Properties secured planning permission for Atlantic Square last year and plans to build two office buildings - of 180,000 sq ft and 95,000 sq ft respectively - alongside 15,000 sq ft of residential and retail space.

When completed, they will be two of the largest offices in Glasgow.

Regional hub expansion

The plans for Drum’s scheme, at a 9.1-acre site bordered by Kingston Street to the south and Clyde Place to the north, are at an earlier stage. The developer has secured permission in principle for an office-led mixed-use development on the brownfield site, but the size of the scheme has not yet been decided, according to a planner at the council.

The GPU has been scouting out potential locations in the city for several months after plans to merge 170 HMRC offices into 13 regional hubs were announced a year ago.

Croydon One Ruskin Sq

HMRC has already signed for 184,000 sq ft at Ruskin Square in Croydon (above) and Property Week reported last month that it was set to choose Ballymore’s Three Snowhill scheme for the first phase of its Birmingham hub.

JLL is handling the requirement for the GPU.

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