The steps are to be demolished as part of the expansion of the Buchanan Galleries.
This includes:
Demolishing the steps, replacing with a tall glass drum type entrance, with scenic lifts to the Sauchiehall St side. Internally there is vertical circulation to access the upper levels of extended mall
Demolishing the existing carpark that stretches along North Hanover Street and replacing with a cinema, large M&S etc
Rebuilding a new car park in the current Queen St station vacant site (where the steamers queue for taxis on a saturday night) which will be 10 storeys tall, with a blank ramp facade facing George Square above the millennium hotel. A link bridge will be made to take shoppers from the car park to the new shopping replacing the existing car park.
The gap between the card shop and the Forbidden Planet building, currently occupied by the tourist info place, will be infilled with new retail, which will run through to Dundas street also (if i remember correctly)
There will also be connections to the upgraded Queen Street station, in the form of an escalator and shops.
It adds up to a pretty horrific overscaled proposal IMO and should rightly be objected to on several grounds.
The application can be viewed here:
https://publicaccess.glasgow.gov.uk/onl ... BKNEX0RT00edited to add the dundas street info