A public consultation for the homes-led redevelopment of one of Edinburgh city centre’s largest potential development sites is to be launched later this month.
Regeneration specialists Artisan Real Estate has formed a joint venture company with fund manager REInvest Asset Management to redevelop the former Deutsche Bank House at 525 Ferry Road, Edinburgh, near the Crewe Toll roundabout.
The office and data-processing centre was formerly the Scottish base for State Street Bank until the building was vacated by the bank in 2018.
Over recent years the building has housed a number of charities including EVOC, SHE Scotland and People Know How.
Consultation for the site, to be known as 525 Park View, will begin with a drop-in public meeting on Saturday 28 October, at Fetlor Youth Club on Crewe Road South, between 12 noon and 4 pm.
The open session will allow members of the local community to meet the design team behind the proposed project, which includes Edinburgh-based 7N Architects.
Follow-up design workshops are also planned before the end of the year, with a full presentation of the final scheme, ahead of any planning submission, anticipated for early 2023.
A project website www.525parkview.co.uk has been set up to provide more details of the project proposals and the ongoing consultation process. All presentation boards will be published on the website within 48 hours of each event, with an opportunity to comment and feedback.
Welcoming the consultation launch, Artisan’s Regional Director for Scotland, David Westwater, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to create a long-term sustainable future for what is a predominantly redundant building and bringing a new community to an accessible city centre site.
“Our initial ideas will be guided by sustainability and low-carbon design and encompass a mix of development, led mainly by residential as well as much-needed affordable housing and ancillary commercial uses.”
Artisan Real Estate has a strong track record in delivering complex residential and mixed-use regeneration projects in sensitive city centre environments across the UK. This includes the award-winning “New Waverley” in Edinburgh’s Old Town and the current Rowanbank Gardens homes development to the west of the city, described as a ‘spectacular blueprint for low carbon living’.
REInvest Asset Management was founded in Luxembourg as a specialist for future-facing investment ideas and currently manages and develops properties across Europe with a value in excess of EUR 2.3 billion. 525 Park View is held in a progressive property fund within a pan-European portfolio managed on behalf of a German insurance group.
Thomas Merkes, Head of Asset Management at REInvest Asset Management added: “Our joint venture partnership with Artisan represents a major step forward in providing an innovative and collaborative mixed-use development solution to unlock the potential for this significant city centre site, which is set to create a genuinely transformational development in an accessible city centre location.
“We are looking forward to the launch of the consultation which will provide the perfect platform to show how we can make a positive contribution to the local area, bringing investment, life and excitement back to this important part of the Capital.”
For more information on Artisan Real Estate visit: www.artisanrealestate.co.uk.
For more information on REInvest Asset Management, visit: www.reinvest-am.lu/en