News

16 August 2023

New Images Unveiled of ‘Spectacular’ Green Neighbourhood Proposed for Edinburgh City Centre

Planning application to be submitted for 256 sustainable homes at Ferry Road site

 

More than two-thirds of development area delivering high-quality green space.

 

New images showing the spectacular homes-led redevelopment of one of Edinburgh city centre’s largest potential development sites have been revealed.

 

Regeneration specialist Artisan Real Estate, together with fund manager REInvest Asset Management, has unveiled detailed plans 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 in 2018.

 

The developers are now lodging a planning application with the City of Edinburgh Council to transform the vacant site, rebranded as ‘525 Park View’, into a new residential neighbourhood providing 256 sustainable homes, 25% of which will be for affordable housing. Flexible commercial space facing on to Ferry Road also provides the potential for cafes, shops and shared workspaces.

 

The proposals are set to dramatically raise the bar for sustainable city-centre living. More than two thirds of the development area will be made up of high-quality green spaces – including a large central communal garden as well as biodiverse green roofs and a ‘wetland’ area which enhances local ecology whilst contributing to the wider sustainable urban drainage system.

 

Smart technology such as individual air source heat pumps for each home also means no fossil fuels will be used, underlining the developers’ commitment to sustainable low carbon development and delivering low energy costs for occupiers.

 

The planning submission follows a comprehensive 14-month consultation programme, with the developers and Edinburgh-based 7N Architects working closely with local community and wider city interests to ensure maximum benefit for both the local area and Edinburgh as a whole.

 

A public ‘drop-in’ information event is being held on Tuesday (August 8, 2023) at the adjacent Village Hotel on Crewe Road South. As well as showcasing details of the final planning submission, the event will present feedback on the public comments received at the two consultation events held in October and December 2022.

 

Looking forward to the 525 Park View planning submission, Artisan Real Estate’s ’s Regional Director for Scotland, David Westwater, said: “This is a hugely exciting opportunity to breathe new life into an underused building, whilst ensuring its long-term future by bringing a new sustainable community to an accessible city centre location.

 

“Following the consultation feedback, we have worked hard to make this development not just the right fit for the site but also an integral part of the wider city centre area. We have reduced the heights of the building from nine to seven storeys and ensured the overall architectural design and materials respect local and historical contexts.

 

“We are also fully aware that we have the responsibility to ensure that our developments exceed all current environmental standards, setting new benchmarks for smart, sustainable living whilst providing a high quality of internal and external space. Our proposals have been guided by low-carbon design and encompass a mix of apartment sizes and layouts, led mainly by residential as well as much-needed affordable housing and other complementary 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, and recently won the inaugural ‘Excellence in Sustainability’ award at the 2023 Scottish Homes Awards.

 

Development partner 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.

 

“Our planning submission for this complex site demonstrates how we can make a positive contribution to the local area, bringing investment, life and excitement back to this important part of the Capital.”

 

20 December 2022

Second Consultation Event for 525 Park View

A second round of public consultation for a contemporary development of sustainable homes, to be known as 525 Park View will run from 21st December to 10th January 2023. The project team will be available to meet in person at the Village Hotel (next to the project site) on 21st December at anytime between 3pm and 7pm. Updated design information will be loaded to the project website on 22nd December.

 

The residential led development will feature a range of one, two and three bedroom apartments built to the award-winning standards of Artisan’s signature low carbon specification. With sustainability and external spaces at the heart of the design concepts, the new development will mirror Artisan’s previous award winning developments including Canonmills Gardens, a collection of 179 homes overlooking the Water of Leith and Rowanbank Gardens, a development of 126 new homes next to Gyle Park.

 

Our initial consultation in October identified significant feedback supporting the provision of new homes as a good use of this brownfield site. We also intend to provide community and commercial facilities and the consultation has flagged support for café and shared workspace, a nursery, gym and small retail provision.

 

There will be a third and final public information event ahead of planning submission in spring 2023.

18 October 2022

Consultation Launches for Homes-Led Redevelopment of Former Deutsche Bank Offices

A public consultation for the homes-led redevelopment of the former Deutsche Bank House at 525 Ferry Road, 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 building vacated by the bank in 2018. 

 

Consultation for the site, 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. 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 location.

 

“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. 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 site, which is set to create a genuinely transformational development in an accessible 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.”