People Make Glasgow building project is cancelled

The Met Tower is an iconic structure in the centre of Glasgow

Plans to redevelop the landmark Met Tower in Glasgow as a digital tech hub have been cancelled.

The 14-storey city centre block - known for its pink "People Make Glasgow" graphic - was marked for refurbishment with office space and a new 10-storey tower behind.

Bruntwood SciTech announced the £60m project in November, after buying the former college building the year before.

The company blamed "significant changes" to economic conditions and the construction market.

It had promised to create 200,000 sq ft (18580 sq m) of office space by 2025, but said this was now "not feasible".

The Category-B listed building was originally owned by City of Glasgow College but has been unused since 2014.

It was sold to Bruntwood SciTech for £16.2m in 2022.

The "People Make Glasgow" graphic was put up by the city council before the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Paul Sweeney, Labour MSP for Glasgow, called the news "dismaying".

He said: “With rival cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool powering ahead with such investments, Glasgow is at serious risk of falling further behind in its growth and development."

The project included plans for a second 10-storey tower

Bruntwood SciTech said it was a "difficult decision" and it was looking at options for the tower's future.

A spokesperson added: “We recognise the iconic position of this building, the opportunity it provides for the city, and the need for it to be brought back to life as soon as possible."

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “We will be working with partners to do all that we can to help deliver a sustainable redevelopment of the building and site as quickly as possible.”