Shawlands Arcade in Glasgow is set for a multi-million revamp after it was bought by AWG Property.

AWG Property’s initial plans are for upgrading the ailing centre and filling the 150,000 sq ft mall’s empty units before Christmas. However, despite the cash injection, AWG are in discussions with major retailers about a project to demolish and rebuild the centre. Supermarket chains including Asda and Waitrose are believed to be among the firms battling to get involved in redeveloping the site.

Richard Rae, development manager for AWG, said, ‘We’ve had lots of interest from major supermarkets and other retailers. We would be looking at five years to completion. Kilmarnock Road used to have the same vibrancy that Byres Road in the West End has but it’s lost some of that. There’s a lot of people who don’t use the centre. I’ve noticed there are fewer mums with buggies than I expected. I was told the centre didn’t have any baby-changing areas. It’s a real oversight. There are also no public toilets.’

Tony Donnelly, managing director of AWG said, ‘The centre was held jointly by several different owners when we bought it and we inherited a lot of baggage as a result. A lot of basic maintenance was neglected. Shop owners will find a big difference in getting their concerns dealt with.’

Website: www.awgproperty.co.uk