More pedestrian areas around Glasgow Central Station have reopened following the devastating fire on Union Street in March. Glasgow City Council confirmed on Thursday that pedestrians can once again use the north pavement along the full length of Gordon Street, avoiding previous detours via Drury Street or Renfield Lane.
Earlier in the week, affected food businesses were granted controlled access to remove spoiled goods and clean their premises ahead of reopening. Angus Millar, the council's convener for city centre recovery, described the pavement reopening as another milestone in the area's ongoing recovery.
"Given the proximity to Central Station, these are among the busiest pavements in the country," Millar said. "The recovery of Union Street is a major priority, and work is already under way to chart a way forward for the future of the street and the wider Central Station area."
The fire started in a vape shop on Union Street on Sunday, March 8, and spread through the building and around the corner. Only the facade of Forsyth House, a B-listed Victorian building at the junction with Gordon Street, remained standing and has since been demolished. Glasgow Central was closed for several days, partially reopening on March 18, with all platforms back in use by March 25.
More than 70 businesses lost their premises in the blaze, and dozens more were unable to operate due to the safety cordon. The council opened a multimillion-pound fund in late March to support affected businesses and continues to work with residents and firms as recovery progresses. Significant progress has been made on stabilising the gable wall on the western side of the site, with work to fill voids set to begin shortly.
