The owner of a landmark building in Glasgow city centre is to be served with a notice to carry out urgent works.

The Egyptian Halls has been empty for decades and a number of proposals and ideas for restoration and development work have so far amounted to nothing.

The A-Listed building on Union Street designed by Alexander Thomson has been covered with scaffolding and occasionally advertising for years.

Work estimated to be at least £10million for repairs but potentially £30million for redevelopment is needed on the building.

Glasgow Times:
Ideas for development, including a hotel or offices and residential flats and recently a museum of slavery, to record Glasgow’s history in the slave trade, have been mooted for the building to help  promote a rebirth of Union street but so far nothing has happened.

Now, the council will serve a “Defective Buildings Notice” on the owner Derek Souter requiring him to carry out repairs.

The upper floors of the Egyptian Halls, considered a masterpiece of design by Alexander Thomson, have been empty since 1980.

It is understood it will be issued after repairs to the front of the building and the removal of the scaffold have not occurred.

Five years ago Mr Souter said the council requested he  remove the scaffolding and protective facade erected on the front of the building.

He said then, that it was needed to “catch” bits of masonry that fall off the building and netting would not be adequate.

When the Evening Times contacted Mr Souter he said he couldn’t meaningfully comment on the notice to be served.

Mr Souter said: “I’m sure you will appreciate I cannot in any meaningful way comment on a notice I have not even seen and also don’t know the content of or had the opportunity to assess and ask for and take professional advice on.”

Glasgow Times:
On the Egyptian Halls website Mr Souter states: “The past should not influence how we get to a solution.

“There is a phenomenal potential to be realised. We need to get a balance of commercial funding and grant funding combined with projected valuation and income uplifts if we take a 10, 15, 20, 25 year perspective.”

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council, said: “The Egyptian Halls are undoubtedly an important part of both Glasgow’s cultural heritage and its urban fabric.

“Council officers have worked with the owners, over a number of years, to support the appropriate development of the building in order that it can be enjoyed by future generations.

“However, we have yet to see proposals that address the condition of the building and, as a result, we have informed the owner that we will be issuing a notice in the coming weeks.”