LGIM Real Assets has announced, on behalf of its £1.9 billion Build to Rent (BTR) Fund, the forward funding of an £81.5 million 17-storey tower regeneration scheme in Candleriggs Square in Glasgow’s city centre.
The scheme will deliver 346 build-to-rent (BTR) homes, 17 parking spaces and 12,800 sq ft of commercial space, helping to meet the city’s demand for high-quality rental accommodation.
Candleriggs Square will mark the fund’s second investment in Glasgow, having last year committed to the forward funding of a 324-home BTR scheme at neighbouring Buchanan Wharf — again using local developer Drum Property Group to deliver the project.
The 17-storey tower at Candleriggs Square will comprise a mixture of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom properties, including six duplex penthouse apartments.
The scheme will make up part of a £300 million Drum Property Group plan to transform Candleriggs Square, a 3.6 acre regeneration area which will provide a mix of high-quality homes, offices, hotels, restaurants, amenities and landscaped open space.
Approval was granted for a “Planning Application in Principle” for Candleriggs Square by Glasgow City Council in May 2020.
Dan Batterton, head of BTR at LGIM Real Assets, said: “Glasgow faces a significant undersupply of high-quality rental accommodation and, within the coming decade, will see its population increase as it continues to establish itself as one of the UK’s best cities to live and work.
“The site is located in a prime location and, alongside Legal & General’s Buchanan Wharf scheme, is the city’s only high-density build to rent product.
“Through our BTR Fund we want to create the best possible experience for renters, providing high-speed digital connectivity, dedicated workspace and exercise facilities, all of which are essential in a post-covid world.”
Graeme Bone, Managing Director of Drum Property Group: “The L&G deal is testament to the unwavering commitment and confidence we have placed in both the Candleriggs Square site and Glasgow city centre, even during these most testing of times.
“It represents a significant step forward in the long-awaited regeneration of one Glasgow’s most prominent gap sites, driving forward the evolution of Candleriggs Square which has quickly established itself as one of Scotland’s largest and most important commercial and residential development sites.
“This will be a huge boost to the area and to local businesses, who are in desperate need of some good news right now.
“We can now look forward to a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform a very special area which has always been at the centre of Glasgow’s commercial and social development.”