City Building has been appointed to carry out the first phase of a £70million contract to transform a derelict part of Glasgow's Maryhill area into a cutting edge sustainable community, boasting 400 new homes, shops and cafes, all set around the dramatic centrepiece that will be Maryhill Locks Park.

The five year Maryhill Locks scheme - being delivered by the Glasgow Canal Regeneration Partnership, Maryhill Housing Association and the Maryhill Transformational Regeneration Area (TRA) - aims to breathe new life into 18 hectares in the north west of the city, with a mixture of high quality social rented and private housing on the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal.

The development will allow City Building to continue growing in the new build housing sector when they start work on the first 125 houses and flats this summer. It also gives City Building the chance to work on a Design & Build basis with leading Glasgow architects, Hypostyle.  This move underpins City Building's successful track record in delivering high quality work based on stylish, modern designs.

The kitchens and timber kit frames will be locally sourced and provided by Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries (RSBi), the UK's largest assisted workshop based in Springburn, Glasgow and managed by City Building. The houses will also feature a range of modern and sustainable technologies, including a biomass district heating system.

Willie Docherty, managing director at City Building said: "We are delighted to have won the tender for this exciting project. City Building has an excellent track record of working in partnership with housing associations, public bodies and the private sector to deliver first-class building projects.

"Maryhill Locks is a tremendous project for Glasgow and will allow us as a company to showcase our workforce's ability to deliver, at the same time as really putting something back into the local community."

A spokesperson for Maryhill Housing Association said: "This is an exciting and significant project which will bring about a number of visual and social improvements to the area. The quality of the housing, combined with the latest environmental technology and the fantastic canal side setting, will make this a desirable new destination within the city.

"High quality design and a mixture of social rented and private houses, combined with cafes, shops, new businesses spaces and community facilities will ensure that a sustainable new neighbourhood will emerge that people will want to both live in and visit."

Steven Rae, senior associate at Hypostyle Architects added: "We are delighted that the Maryhill Locks, Phase 2 project has won tender approval and look forward to working with City Building in providing this exemplar project in the local community.  

"The proposed design will create a sustainable community adjacent to the historic Maryhill Locks structure that will set the standard for future development in this area."

City Building was appointed on the recommendation of independent consultants Turner + Townsend, who were responsible for fully evaluating the tender submissions received following a public procurement process.