Glasgow Fort

Glasgow Fort is a large out-of-town shopping and leisure park located in Glasgow, Scotland, just off Junction 10 of the M8 motorway which runs to the south, surrounded by the residential areas of Provanhall, Garthamlock and Easterhouse. It was opened in 2004[1] built on land which had been part of Auchinlea Park (previously the site of two quarries)[2] which still exists to its immediate east.[3]

Glasgow Fort Shopping Centre
Glasgow Fort in 2009
LocationGlasgow, Scotland, Garthamlock
Coordinates55.87122°N 4.1367°W / 55.87122; -4.1367
AddressGlasgow Fort, Junction 10 M8
Opening date2004
DeveloperPillar Property plc and Capital & Regional plc
OwnerBritish Land
ArchitectCooper Cromar
No. of stores and services93
No. of anchor tenants5
Total retail floor area506,218 sq ft (47,029.2 m2)
Parking2,600 spaces
Websiteglasgowfort.com

Description

The concept is unusual when compared to other local out-of-town shopping centres such as Braehead and Silverburn, in that it is uncovered and therefore the spaces between units are open to the elements, therefore technically categorising it as a retail park. The design of the area incorporates a "two-sided mall design" intended to recreate a traditional high street.[4]

The scheme opened in October 2004 with Phase 1 of the development providing 390,946 sq ft (36,320.1 m2) of retail accommodation.[4] There are currently over 100 retail units and two additional kiosks. Retail range in size from small single floor 570 sq ft (53 sq m) spaces to large multi-floor units that are over 22,000 sq ft (2,000 m2) in size. There are approximately 2,500 car parking spaces for the park.[5] In 2016, a new multi-storey car park opened with over 600 spaces in it.

From 2012 to 2013, an extension to Glasgow Fort Shopping was under construction. It opened in October 2013, with hundreds of Glaswegians attending the grand opening. The extension included five new restaurants: Chiquito; Prezzo; Wagamama; TGI Friday's and Harvester, alongside an eight-screen Vue Cinema.[6]

Between 2014 and 2015, another large extension began. With various new restaurants, shops and a large Marks and Spencer,[7] the extension opened in late 2015.

Stores
  • There is also a Morrisons supermarket in the vicinity, completed about the same time (2005)[8] and sited to the east of the main centre across Auchinlea Park towards Easterhouse, but this is not considered to officially be part of the Fort.
  • There is also a McDonald's opened in 2021 located in the car park of Morrisons[9]

A New Parking Lot was opened to insure customers that their parking worries would be less of a stress

Transport

Buses and trains run regularly to Easterhouse railway station (2 miles away) from Glasgow City Centre, in addition to buses from the city to the complex, making Glasgow Fort easily accessible by public transport.

First Bus: 38 38A 19 60A 60 46

Stagecoach: X19

References
  1. Glasgow Fort at 10: Mall that brought fresh life to the East End, Evening Times, 11th of September 2011
  2. OS National Grid Maps, 1944-1967, Explore georeferenced maps (National Library of Scotland)
  3. Auchinlea Park, Gazetteer for Scotland
  4. "British Land - Glasgow Fort Shopping Centre". Britishland.com. Archived from the original on 19 June 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  5. "Glasgow Fort Q&A". glasgowfort.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  6. Glasgow Fort shopping centre in £9m expansion plan, BBC News, 21 August 2012
  7. Glasgow Fort expansion 'may lead to 500 jobs', BBC News, 14 April 2014
  8. Supermarket is behind £20m complex plans, Evening Times, 14 July 2008
  9. "New McDonald's drive-thru opening in Easterhouse". 9 July 2019.
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