Edinburgh’s Green City Space

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 S.A., 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. 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 S.A. 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 S.A. 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.”