AROUND 500 apartments are to be developed on a vacant site on the banks of the Clyde in Glasgow.

Construction firm Graham has won the contract to build the 498-apartment block for developer PLATFORM_ on a site that has been vacant since the departure of newspaper the Daily Record in 2000.

The private-rental development will include four blocks of varying height, including a 20-storey tower. Resident facilities will include a rooftop garden, lounges, games rooms, gym, cycle club and café, roof terraces, and a co-working commercial area with cafe.

Gary Holmes, regional managing director of Graham’s building division, said: “Private rental developments are again increasing in popularity across the UK, feeding a growing appetite of those people who want flexible, sociable and cost-effective living, and this project further bolsters our strong position in the residential sector.

“The facilities we are constructing for PLATFORM_ will provide high quality apartments, incorporating the full range of lifestyle and amenity facilities which today’s urban professional renters expect.”

Matt Willcock, development director at PLATFORM_ said: “We're looking forward to launching PLATFORM_ Glasgow. The building will not only help redevelop the local area but will provide much needed housing to cope with high demand. BTR is a new, upward trend that offers high-quality rented accommodation at competitive prices for a wide-ranging demographic.”