Proposals shared by NIXON showcase the retention of the B-listed historical building, designed by renowned architect Thomas Graham Abercrombie and opened in 1898. The architectural plans are for a mix of private and social housing on the site, which extends to approximately 1.6 Ha (4.0 Acres).

NIXON, which has previously worked on local residential developments such as The Millhouse and Riverside Walk, shared its proposals on Thursday with local residents, Renfrewshire Council, and community groups at its first consultation event to be held in the secondary school. The development team were on hand to answer any questions as part of the consultation process. This is the first of two events, with a second consultation planned for Thursday 23rd of October.

Renfrewshire Council received a number of expressions of interest from developers for the vacant site and members of its infrastructure land and environment policy board approved the sale of the building, subject to planning permission being granted.

Speaking ahead of the event, Paisley-born owner Richard McFadzean and managing director of NIXON, said: “This is an opportunity for us to share our first iterations of what we envision for the site. As this is a landmark site, we understand that the building adds significant architectural richness to the town. We look forward to meeting interested parties and sharing with them our plans to preserve this historic and significant building while adding much needed high-quality affordable housing on site.”

A consultation with key stakeholders will be completed before a full planning application is submitted to the council later this year.

Paisley Grammar School, which was founded in 1576, is relocating to a new purpose-built £85.5 million community campus off Renfrew Road due to open in August 2026.

The development at Paisley Grammar will also be an opportunity for further investment in Paisley with the creation of a significant number of jobs. As the preferred bidder, NIXON will facilitate local apprenticeships, work placements, and training opportunities by partnering with local job centres and working closely with regeneration agencies to develop tangible work experience opportunities and apprenticeships.