Campaigners have criticised the grantmaker Creative Scotland for putting the Centre for Contemporary Arts building up for sale on a “rushed timeline”.
The 43,000ft2 building was a multi-arts venue and hub run by the charity CCA, which closed abruptly in January.
It entered liquidation, closed its building, which is owned by Creative Scotland, and made more than 30 redundancies due to “significant” financial challenges.
After the closure, the Scottish Artists Union said such a lack of financial oversight at a charity that was funded by Creative Scotland was “appalling”, urging the grantmaker to support the staff affected.
The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator later opened an inquiry into the CCA to establish the facts surrounding its historical financial governance.
The regulator previously said its initial assessment had uncovered that the charity was unable to pay its debts when it ceased trading.
Creative Scotland has since listed the CCA’s former building for sale or rent, with the intention of keeping it in use as an “asset for the cultural sector and the public”.
In a statement, the grantmaker said it was “calling for expressions of interest from organisations seeking ownership or lease of the building”. The cost of the building, either to buy or rent, remains undisclosed.
Interested parties must enquire before 5pm on 12 August.
It said: “Creative Scotland, which currently owns the building, recognises the importance of 350 Sauchiehall Street as a cultural venue and would like to see it remain as an asset for the cultural sector and the public.
“As such, expressions of interest from organisations with an intention of operating the building as a cultural venue are particularly welcome.”
But a campaign group called Save Our CCA has criticised the move, alleging the announcement was “quietly” published on Creative Scotland’s website “without consultation with artists or the residents of Glasgow”.
In an Instagram post, Save Our CCA said: “With a rushed timeline of only three weeks to submit expressions of interest, this appears to be a deliberate attempt to prevent a community-led bid for the building.
“Creative Scotland pays lip service to the Scottish government’s original promise that any new operator would recognise the cultural significance of the CCA.
“Instead, the sales brochure states only that it is their preference that expressions of interest ensure the building continues to operate as a cultural space.”
The campaign group says this phrase was “meaningless”, pointing towards high-profile public expressions of interest in the building.
Earlier this month, the BBC reported plans to turn the building into a Scottish Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame, a bid led by a group of high-profile musicians including Midge Ure, Lulu, and Jim Kerr of Simple Minds.
A Creative Scotland spokesperson said: “We’re open to all expressions of interest including from public sector organisations who may wish to take ownership of the building.
“For clarity regarding the bid process – this is an initial call-out for expressions of interest to those seeking to lease or purchase the building. The information being asked for at this stage is minimal and, once this stage is completed, it will be followed by an open call for detailed proposals.”