Businessman aims transform 103-year-old derelict building in Shawlands into 'hub of community'

A businessman has launched a mission to transform a derelict 103-year-old building into a community hub in Glasgow.

The building, on Moss Side Road in Shawlands, first opened on Christmas Day in 1922 and entertained cinemagoers for over 50 years.

It transitioned into a bingo hall and snooker club in the seventies and eighties and got a new lease of life as Tusk nightclub in the early 2000s.

Following its closure, the site was set to be transformed into a Wetherspoons pub, with hopes it would replace the Sir John Stirling Maxwell on Kilmarnock Road.

However, nothing came of the plans, and the building now lies empty.

Glasgow-based businessman and owner of Godshot studio, Sam Amdjadi, hopes to restore the building to its previous glory – by creating a cinema, cafe and community space for locals.

He said: “In my mind, this should be not the decaying building we see behind us. That should be the cornerstone of this community.

“I think it’s criminal that we allow buildings that are woven into our communities just to go to decay – it could be the hub of the southside.

“First and foremost I’d like a return to what it was… it was a cinema and I’d like to have a cinema in this area.

The building will need extensive work. STV News

“Beyond that, the southside is crying out for a place where people can gather. I’ve notionally called it a coworking space and café.”

It’s thought the project could cost around £4m to £5m, with Sam indicating he’s had interest from both public and private investors.

“There’s going to be a level of spend to bring the building up to standard… it’s been vacant since 2017 and I don’t know how they’ve maintained it if at all prior to that, so there’s going to be a level of bringing it up to scratch but after that I’ve got some ambitious plans and hopefully we get the funding for it.”

The building, on Moss Side Road in Shawlands, first opened on Christmas Day in 1922. @sam.amdjadi Godshot studio

Sam added: “There’s been talk of things being done for this building before murmurs, and I don’t want to be another person who takes an interest. This is going to be a long project and it needs resilience and community spirit, and that’s what is inspiring me.”

Sam says he has already received in excess of 300 emails from people interested in the building’s redevelopment.

One Shawlands local told STV News: “I’ve been in there for a wedding. It was beautiful inside. It’s just a shame that it’s just gone the way how it looks now. I used to go to Tusk when it was open quite a while ago.”

Another added: “It feels like we’ve got so many great restaurants and bars and coffee shops and gift shops and all of those other things that come with gentrification and we don’t have a cinema. So I would really, really love to see a cinema around here.”

A third said: “It’s a shame that it’s gone derelict for so long, but it’s so much potential there as well.”

You can find out more about the Tusk Rescue Mission on Instagram @godshot.studio A dedicated webpage for regular updates can also be found here.