GLASGOW’S Pacific Quay could be turned into a major social hub under new multi-million-pound plans.

Drum Property Group and Social Enterprise want to create restaurants, cafes, apartments and offices overlooking the Canting Basin as part of a £67million project.

As part of the development, a new £10m urban whiskey distillery, bottling plant and visitor centre, run by Douglas Laing & Co, is being proposed.

It’s the latest bid to transform the waterfront, with plans for Buchanan Wharf and Glasgow Harbour set to be heard by Glasgow City Council later this year.

Following the submission of a planning application to the council, Graeme Bone, Group Managing Director of Drum said: “Our proposals combine high-quality residential and office development with a café culture, bringing amenities to an area which currently lacks facilities and services and is seldom occupied after 5pm.

“We want this to be a vibrant social quarter which will be visited, occupied and enjoyed during the day, evening and night, creating a genuine sense of identity and excitement both within and outside of the workplace.

“We now have the opportunity to realise the ambition of Scottish Enterprise to deliver an attractive and vibrant destination in the very heart of Pacific Quay, bringing a site which has lain empty for more than 30 years back to life.”

The first phase of the development will cost £30m and includes 20,000 square feet of Grade A office space, 60 residential homes and apartments as well as café and restaurants.

The new whiskey distillery will also be built during the first part, if the plans are approved.

Cara Laing, Douglas Laing & Co’s director of whiskey, said: “We have long held an ambition for the company to operate its own distillery and bottling operation in Glasgow and our proposals will bring whisky distilling back to the south side of the city.

“We will be creating welcome jobs and generating significant additional high-value exports – as well as becoming an additional high-profile tourist attraction for the city.”

The second phase of the development is expected to be submitted for planning approval in the coming months.

The latest plans follow last month’s announcement that Barclay’s Bank will develop a new headquarters at Drum’s Buchanan Wharf site.

That development will include an office block at more than 500,000 sq.ft and another at 210,000 sq.ft as well as 310 build-to-rent residential units.

Another site at Glasgow Harbour is being earmarked for 348 homes with commercial units as well as food and drink premises planned near the Transport Museum.

Allan McQuade, Business Infrastructure Director at Scottish Enterprise, added: “This is one of the key remaining waterfront sites to be developed in Glasgow and follows hot-on-the-heels of Barclay’s announcement to develop a new state-of-the-art campus at Drum’s Buchanan Wharf site, south of the Clyde.

“We look forward to working with Drum and other occupiers in the area to realise our ambitious vision for Pacific Quay.”