Praxis snaps up Glasgow’s St Enoch Centre for £50m

St Enoch Shopping Centre (credit: Praxis Real Estate Management)
UK real estate investment firm Praxis has completed the acquisition of Glasgow’s St Enoch Shopping Centre, in a deal estimated to be worth £50m.
The 12-acre site occupies a prime location at the intersection of Buchanan Street and Argyle Street, adjacent to Glasgow Central Train Station. The scheme comprises over 800,000 sq ft of retail and leisure accommodation complemented by 900 car parking spaces.
The asset was last traded in 2013 and under the previous ownership, the centre benefited from capital investment that created a new leisure quarter anchored by Vue Cinema alongside new entrants to the scheme such as Boom Battle Bar, Level X, Escape Hut, Wagamama, and Wingstop.
St Enoch Centre’s continued strength as a retail destination has been reinforced by the recent opening of a flagship Next store and the imminent launch of a 25,000 sq ft UNIQLO store.
James Hewitt, COO of Praxis, said: “The purchase of the St Enoch Centre is our first significant balance sheet investment into the retail sector in eight years.
“We are acquiring the asset against a backdrop of an improving tenant mix, footfall growth and increasing average basket spend throughout the scheme. Praxis has waited patiently to re-enter a sector where we have a market leading track record and we are now seeking to invest at scale into a number of discrete opportunities.”
Ian Shorrock, head of retail at Praxis, added: “The scheme is a landmark asset with significant unrealised potential and we intend to make a substantial capital investment to further enhance the offer.
“We believe St Enoch’s performance will benefit from our integrated approach to managing operationally complex assets and we look forward to working closely with the c. 100 tenants in the scheme.”
Praxis was advised by GCW, while the vendor received advice from JLL.