First Minister opens the doors to Quartermile
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First Minister opens the doors to Quartermile
First Minister opens the doors to Quartermile
Edinburgh’s £450 million new quarter unveiled
Edinburgh’s first new urban quarter in generations, the stunning £450 million Quartermile development, was officially launched today (Thursday, November 1, 2007) by First Minister the Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP.
The First Minister took the wraps off Scotland’s largest urban redevelopment project which is transforming the site of the former Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and will eventually support over 3,800 jobs.
At a VIP evening reception, he opened its flagship office building Quartermile One and officially launched the Quartermile development, parts of which will now be open to the public for the first time since redevelopment work began five years ago.
Quartermile One is a striking seven storey office building featuring column-free open plan space with floorplates ranging from 9,677 sq. ft to 20,656 sq. ft. The ground floor features an impressive reception and atrium as well as two retail units of 12,508 sq ft and 2,153 sq ft.
The 120,000 sq ft flagship office property is the first building to be completed in the first phase of development at Quartermile, with a further five following in the coming months.
Once completed in 2012, Quartermile will feature over 300,000 sq ft of premium office space, over 55,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space, more than 900 new and converted modern apartments and seven acres of landscaped gardens and public space.
A joint venture between Gladedale, one of UK's largest private property development and housebuilding groups and Bank of Scotland Corporate, Quartermile will provide 10 per cent of Edinburgh’s commercial space for the next decade.
More than 150 apartments have already been sold with the first residents due to move in during the next few months and the development’s first retail tenants will be unveiled in the next few weeks.
Leading law firm Maclay Murray & Spens has leased half of the 120,000 sq ft Quartermile One building as its new headquarters and the building itself has been acquired by Morley on behalf of Norwich Property Trust.
A new public square, Quartermile Square, will be formed at the heart of the development and its open spaces and landscaping will be three times the area of St Andrews Square.
Jim McIntyre, managing director of Gladedale’s development arm, Gladedale Capital, said: “The vision of a new urban quarter at the heart of Scotland’s capital is now coming alive.
“Quartermile is a dramatic fusion of new and old; where striking new apartment and office buildings sit comfortably alongside preserved and restored Victorian architecture.
“We are delighted to finally take the covers off the first of these buildings and show the world our vision for a groundbreaking, though sympathetic, redevelopment of this historic site.”
Masterplanned by world-renowned architects Foster & Partners, the development blends the capital’s heritage with contemporary new buildings to create an exciting new residential and business community.
The First Minister officially launched the development at an exclusive gala dinner at Quartermile One, which was attended by leading members of the business community.
BBC Today presenter James Naughtie was the guest speaker. Catering for the event was provided by Michelin-starred chef Martin Wishart and his outside catering team. This was Wishart’s most ambitious event to date and showcased his growing credibility within large-scale event catering outwith his intimate Leith-based restaurant.
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