A detailed planning application has been submitted to Glasgow City Council which will see McLellan Works become home to ambitious and creative SME businesses and incorporate a curated mix of local retail, food and café operators. It is proposed to open in Autumn 2019.

Under the plans, McLellan Works will combine a high quality, dynamic and flexible shared work and co-working environment targeting established and SME businesses with formal and informal meeting spaces as well as co-work space with an artisan café and possible links to the Glasgow School of Art (GSA).

The development is being led by McLellan Works’ new owner, Bywater Properties, with its transformative redesign being carried out by Glasgow-based architects Stallan-Brand. Local design house Graphical House is leading the development of the brand identity.

The building will complement the £7 million investment programme on Sauchiehall Street – part of the city’s ‘Avenues Project’ – which sees the creation of wider pavements, a two-way cycle lane and improved lighting and seating areas.

It will also continue to serve as the entrance for the McLellan Galleries, which stands immediately behind the building and is currently occupied by the GSA.

Theo Michell, principal at Bywater Properties, said: “This is a beautiful but currently neglected building at the heart of one of Glasgow’s most popular and loved streets. We’re very proud of our plans to breathe new life into a landmark building in such a fantastic location.

“The prospect of a disruptive space like McLellan Works being situated in such a creative and vibrant part of the city, which has strong links to the creative powerhouse that is Glasgow School of Art, is very exciting. We’re looking forward to welcoming businesses that want to be part of McLellan Works and help boost Glasgow’s jobs and economy.”

Keri Monaghan, project architect at Stallan-Brand, said: “This dynamic project offers the opportunity to unlock a piece of Glasgow’s history by reinstating the presence of the McLellan Galleries on Sauchiehall Street. We are delighted to be a part of these proposals to re-establish the city’s connection to a piece of cultural heritage while also maintaining a listed building, delivering attractive office space, and contributing to the ongoing improvements being made to Sauchiehall Street.”

The McLellan Galleries, which sit within the same block as McLellan Works, were originally built in 1855 to house the art collection of Archibald McLellan, a local coach builder, councillor and patron of the arts. From 1869 the galleries were home to the GSA until its move to the Mackintosh Building in 1899. Then for many years elegant department store Trerons occupied what is now McLellan Works.

In recent years the building around the galleries operated as Breckenridge House, with a mix of commercial tenants and retail units on Sauchiehall Street.