US REIT Mills Corporation and Canadian developer Ivanhoe Cambridge have submitted an outline planning application for a £100m extension to Glasgow’s St Enoch Centre
The joint venture partners presented Glasgow City Council with plans for the 250,000 sq ft (23,225 sq m) scheme on Wednesday. The plans include leisure facilities at the east end of the shopping centre.
This will comprise a multimedia screen in the square for screenings of arts and sporting events and a refurbishment of the existing centre.
Mills has been under investigation by the US federal government for accounting problems, which forced it to delay the announcement of its 2005 figures. It put itself up for sale in June and is considering the expressions of interest that were received.
It has been cutting back on its development pipeline but continues to own the St Enoch Centre jointly with Canadian property company Ivanhoe Cambridge.
Burgin Dossett, Mills’ group vice-president for development in Europe, said: ‘We have been formulating a redevelopment strategy that would enhance the productivity of the centre and re-establish the St Enoch Centre as the dominant retail and leisure anchor for Glasgow’s city centre.’
If planning consent is granted, construction is to start in September. Completion is expected by the end of 2009.
The extension would increase the size of the St Enoch Centre to 1.3m sq ft (120,772 sq m) and is expected to create 1,500 jobs for the area.