IT had been on the drawing board for more than a decade, and its opening in September 1981 came at a time, said the Evening Times, when the whole area of Springburn seemed to have been “blitzed and undergoing a metamorphosis, with desolate and rubble-filled areas.
“Now,” it added, with the opening of the indoor Springburn Shopping Centre, “there is a feeling of optimism, that a modernised new Springburn is about to emerge.”
The £8 million centre had no fewer than 31 shops and a superstore, including Presto, John Menzies, RS McColl and City Bakeries. Already there were plans to make the venue more than just a retail centre. Artists had painted murals that were on display; plans were in hand for children’s arts shows, “and from time to time there may be musical offerings,” said the Evening Times.
The district’s long association with the railways had inspired the developers to create, as a centrepiece, a virtual replica of part of a railway platform - a rest area beneath a scalloped roof.
Read more: Herald Diary
The gala opening was something of a hit. Some 5,000 people turned up to see the then Lord Provost, Michael Kelly, do the honours, after which, accompanied by the actor and comedian Rikki Fulton, he toured the mall. At one point Mr Kelly went behind the counter of a bakery to serve customers.
He described the mall as a perfect example of co-operation between district council and private developer.
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