THE owners of Glasgow’s iconic ABC have expressed their plans to rebuild and guarantee this popular city centre venue in the heart of Glasgow is not lost forever. Following the second devastating fire at Glasgow’s School of Art in 2018, an application was launched with the council to demolish the building, however, a local MSP has confirmed the building’s owner do not see this as the end for the venue.
Glasgow Labour MSP, Pauline McNeill, has met with the ABC’s owners who have expressed interesting in rebuilding the venue. Seeking support from Finance Secretary Derek Mackay, she said “If we can save the facade then that’s good, but we also want it to be a modern music venue for Glasgow. The O2 ABC was widely seen as Glasgow’s most iconic and popular music venue.” Mr Mackay said, “Of course I will continue to work with the council, businesses and local MSPs, who have been very constructive and consensual in progressing the recovery of Sauchiehall Street. I would not want to overstep my role as Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work or to try to act as a determiner on future planning, but I think that there is a very strong case for that performance venue to continue to be able to flourish to support Sauchiehall Street, the wider economy and Scottish performance.”
Acting representatives of the owners, Urban Pulse, said “We fully understand the importance of this venue to the music and arts community across Glasgow. The owners of the site have proactively sought to ensure that there is a means to not only reinstate the property as a music and licensed venue but also to ensure that this is done with as little detrimental impact as possible to the local community and indeed fellow business owners both in the immediate vicinity and across the city.
“We are working closely with Glasgow City Council to ensure there is a safe and reasonable methodology for demolition and have sought to establish protocols for working with our neighbours the Glasgow School of Art.
“Having been victims of another devastating fire the owners remain resolute in their intentions to invest further on this city block to ensure that it remains an anchor for Sauchiehall Street and indeed the city. We are encouraged that the 02, campus and other tenants are keen to be party to the reinstatement.”
