The Barras Market has a long tradition in the East End of Glasgow, Scotland,
Barras market, date and author unknown.
Vendors primarily sold barrows (handcarts) known then as “barras”, in the early 20th Century, which gave both the market and the entire neighborhood its name.
This subsequently became more formalized in the 1920’s and 30’s with the building of the McIvers sheds, and the Barrowlands Ballroom. The present ballroom was rebuilt in 1960, after a fire in 1958.
Today, Barras Market is thriving, and is known throughout the world. Now, in June of 2017, Barras market is in line for a £1.56 million regeneration.
Here are five other transformative current Scottish regeneration projects:
- At 20 years duration, 840 hectares (2000 acres), and £1.5 billion in private investment, Clyde Gateway (pictured at top) in Glasgow is Scotland’s largest and most ambitious public-private regeneration. By repurposing, renewing, and reconnecting this huge old industrial site, they expect to create over 4500 jobs;
- The George Street Complex is a collection of historic buildings in Glasgow that are getting a £70 million regeneration to repurpose them apartments, student housing, and a hotel;
- The Haymarket is a £200 million redevelopment designed to create Edinburgh’s best-connected office location;
- The Registers is a £60 million regeneration project in central Edinburgh that will bring two important buildings back to life as offices plus street-level shops, bars and restaurants, attracting over 700 jobs;
- The £1 billion regeneration of the Dundee Waterfront is reaping international acclaim. Its new hotel, offices and apartments are expected to bring 9000 jobs to the city, and attract hundreds of thousands of tourists while triggering millions of pounds of investment in the surrounding area.
Image courtesy of Clyde Gateway.
A bit more about Clyde Gateway: This massive revitalization effort, which required the remediation of hundreds of hectares of contaminated soil, was actually triggered by Glasgow’s bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Their bid sold Glasgow as the ideal venue by promising that the games would be the catalyst for a physical, social and economic transformation of the city’s east end, plus neighboring South Lanarkshire. In keeping with this promise, Scotland’s biggest and most ambitious regeneration programme – Clyde Gateway – was launched just six weeks after the Games were awarded to Glasgow.
Feature image courtesy of Clyde Gateway.