Date set for re-opening of fire ravaged Union Street in Glasgow four months after blaze

Union Street will fully re-open to pedestrians and vehicles at 1pm on Friday, July 17 – marking a major step forward in the recovery of the fire ravaged street. It comes four months after a fire in a vape shop saw the Union Corner building go up in flames.

Glasgow City Council said it has now completed works to stabilise the gable and the scaffolding has been removed.

A further week of work within the site – alongside roads and pavements work – will be completed by July 17. The site will then be handed over to the owners. Hoarding will also be in place by then ahead of being dressed to mark the forthcoming Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The fire saw the Union Corner building destroyed over the course of Sunday, March 8 and Monday, March 9 | John Devlin / The Scotsman

Councillor Angus Millar, Convener for City Centre Recovery at Glasgow City Council, said: “I am pleased that the reopening of Union Street can now be confirmed, following the extensive work undertaken to clear the site after the fire earlier this year. This is a key stage in the recovery of the area around Central Station and will allow people and vehicles to move far more smoothly through this part of the city centre.

“I would like to thank everyone affected by the fire and its aftermath for their patience, and pass on my gratitude to the council staff, our contractors and partners for the huge amount of work they have done to get us to this stage.”

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Last week, architectural practice - O'DonnellBrown - was appointed to develop a concept design for the meanwhile use for the site of the former Category B listed five-storey building.

It is anticipated that the first steps towards meanwhile use of the site will begin later this year.

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "The final and permanent development of the fire site will take time - but neither the council nor the owners are prepared to see such a crucial city centre space lie empty while that takes shape. Finding an appropriate 'meanwhile' use for the site, which doesn't simply mask the damage but actually attracts people back to this part of the Central Station quarter, is going to be vitally important to support its ongoing recovery.

"I'm delighted we have expert, local partners working on that already - with the expectation that we will start to see the site coming back into use this year."