A piece of Glasgow’s motoring history has been listed at category A by Historic Scotland. The Arnold Clark Garage, also known as the Botanics Garage, on Vinicombe Street has been upgraded from category B to A in recognition of its national importance.
Historic Scotland Head of Listing, Dr Deborah Mays, said: “The garage was built in the early 1900s when parking on the street was not allowed. People living in grand Glasgow tenements would have relied on public parking garages like this one.
“Though existing buildings were converted for use as garages, purpose built multi-storey garages were not common. It is an incredibly rare survival and may well be the earliest one of its type remaining in Scotland.”
At the time the Botanics Garage was built Glasgow was home to many car manufacturers and the city appears to have embraced the motoring phenomenon.
A spokeswoman for Arnold Clark Automobiles said: “We are currently working with Glasgow City Council and Historic Scotland to find a satisfactory solution for this site.
“We will ensure the recognised and desirable features are incorporated into any future design and will endeavour to create a useful and valuable commodity for the west end and wider community.”
The garage had previously been earmarked for a modern four-storey building of 35 flats, four mews cottages, retail space and a restaurant. The demolition plans spawned a protest group, Save The Botanic Gardens Garage. The decision to upgrade the building's listed status is seen as a major boost in terms of securing the building's future.
