THE ambitious plan to regenerate swathes of Glasgow through the Commonwealth Games has been given a major vote of confidence with a scheme for a major hotel, restaurants and retail facilities in the heart of the city's east end.
The plan will include a 160-bedroom, mid-range hotel alongside the new National Indoor Sports Arena (Nisa) and Velodrome facing Celtic Park, with a supermarket and several well-known food outlets also setting up shop.
A formal notice has been submitted to Glasgow City Council with a statutory public consultation about to commence. A formal application will follow.
If, as expected, the plan goes ahead, it would be the only major hotel within the city's east end. It is believed Dutch-based firm Tulip Inns is the interested party.
The scheme is separate from Celtic's own plans to regenerate the area around their stadium. Despite the plans being submitted in 2009 and the Commonwealth Games just over two years away, there still appears to be little going on around Celtic Park beyond what is being carried out by public authorities.
However, supporters and fans visiting the stadium would be among the key beneficiaries of the hotel, along with future users of the Nisa and Velodrome.
Located at the junction of London Road and Springfield Road, it would also be served by the new dual carriageway connecting the M74 and M8 and cutting alongside Celtic Park.
The area's MSP also said it would guarantee that visitors to the 2014 Games had the option of staying in the immediate proximity of the event's core venues.
A source close to the project said: "The impressive thing about this scheme is that the finance appears to be in place.
"There's also a hotel firm waiting in the wings and it's already gone from 120 bedrooms to 160.
"You're talking something akin to what's at The Quay on the south banks of the Clyde, with a Frankie and Benny's-style restaurant and something else dining and family-orientated.
"You're also talking about a Tesco Metro and there's also interest from a major dental firm for a facility at the site."
He added: "We're still waiting to see what's happening immediately around Celtic Park and at this stage it looks at best like concreting the rough ground and covering the eyesores with massive advertising."
Early work on the scheme is being done by Stirlingshire-based consultants Paton Planning and Development, which has worked with the developers and architects involved in the 2014 Athletes' Village project, just yards away in Dalmarnock, successfully steering it through the planning system.
Company chief John Paton also led the planning work on the aborted Ibrox Masterplan and Regional Casino development for Rangers, as well as the planning application for the proposed redevelopment of Tynecastle stadium by Hearts.
Archie Graham, Glasgow City Council's political lead on the Games, said: "We would welcome any ideas that will further the tremendous regeneration in the east end of the city, and will consider this proposal in due course. This site offers tremendous opportunities for a developer with the right proposal."
Glasgow Shettleston MSP John Mason said: "This is clearly part of the legacy we're hoping for. One of my concerns was that practically everyone visiting the east end as part of 2014 would be staying in the city centre or beyond but this provides the opportunity to remain in the epicentre of the games."
The scheme's developer, London-based Kevin Fawcett, was unavailable.
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