New plans submitted to Glasgow City Council would see derelict land next to Civic Street transformed into a blossoming space for the community.
Community interest company and Glasgow Canal Co-op member Agile City has teamed up with landscape architects ERZ to look at reviving the former Phoenix Park site by the M8, which is a walking and cycling thoroughfare and gateway to the canal.
Their plans include creating a space for community events and meetings and a place to house Glasgow Tool Library and Bike for Good workshop and bike storage facilities.
Outside, a yard area would feature new planting and create a space for a variety of outdoor events and workshops, alongside an outdoor cooking and eating area.
If successful, the community reclamation project would be made possible through funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Glasgow City Council, Sustrans, The Heritage Project Fund and the Central Scotland Green Network.
The project would temporarily make use of the space by the Forth and Clyde canal, close to Cowcaddens Subway Station, which has been empty for around 15 years.
The plans submitted state:
“The wider area around the site is currently home to a wide range of cultural, educational and industrial organisations that give a rich and diverse character to the area.
“This dynamic community means that there is a local audience for the cultural and social aspects of the project and any connectivity improvements would have a positive impact on the ability for people to complete more everyday active travel journeys.”
Other ideas submitted in the plans include ‘polytunnels’ to kick-start urban food production and a ‘green laboratory’ for experimenting with recycled construction materials and structures and an outdoor classroom.
Agile City’s plans would be another step forward in the Co-op’s ambition to unlock the canal’s potential as a vibrant area for people to live, work and visit.