A Glasgow businessman is fighting to breathe new life into the city centre amid a rapidly increasing number of empty office buildings, boarded-up windows and derelict shop fronts Barry Cushley's work to support the city became known when he handed over a basement space to Homeless Project Scotland where they continue to run an emergency shelter and soup kitchen there. His company Quintessential Offices buy old, run-down buildings and renovates and redesigns them, creating modern shared office spaces which they rent out to businesses of all sizes. His goal is to return the city centre to its former glory – and he is pouring his heart and soul into it, along with serious investment.
Barry told : “I am really passionate about trying to bring the city centre back to life, it’s heartbreaking to see how bad things have got. “Look at Sauchiehall Street, it used to be a busy, lively iconic part of Glasgow, now it’s like a building site with no people and rubbish everywhere. “All over the city, it’s the same story.
And all these beautiful old buildings have been left to rot, they’re crumbling away or riddled with damp. “It’s really sad to see – but it’s not too late to do something about it.” Barry lives in the city centre and runs the streets every morning, so sees first-hand just how severe the situation has become.
“It can feel pretty bleak, but when I look at the streets and the boarded up, decrepit buildings, I see what they could be rather than the st.