Laing O’Rourke formally Appointed Delivery Partner on £1Billion Redevelopment of Edinburgh St James
Laing O’Rourke has been formally appointed as the construction partner to deliver the £1 billion landmark redevelopment of the Edinburgh St James centre. TH Real Estate and Dutch pension asset manager, APG have formed a joint venture to develop one of the UK’s largest private sector regeneration projects.
The 1.7 million sq ft retail and leisure centre development represents one of the largest inward investments for Scotland this year. Edinburgh St James will comprise 850,000 sq ft of retail space, anchored by John Lewis, a multi-screen cinema and a world class W Hotel, which represents their debut in Scotland, comprising 214 rooms. In addition, 150 private apartments, offering breath-taking views over the City, set a gold standard for prime residential accommodation.
Laing O’Rourke was appointed last year on a consultancy basis to advise on pre-construction. Today’s announcement signals the start of the construction phase as main contractor, and an 18-month demolition phase of the existing St James Shopping centre, which was constructed in the 1960s will start immediately. The retail and leisure element of the redevelopment is anticipated to complete in 2020, followed by full scheme completion in 2021.
Through early engagement, Laing O’Rourke has been able to positively influence the design and engineering methodology.
Laing O’Rourke’s Chairman and Chief Executive Ray O’Rourke said: “TH Real Estate are to be commended for the 21st Century approach to this complex city centre project. Their determination to engage with digital technology, engineering excellence and Design for Manufacture and Assembly is the mark of a forward-thinking organisation.
I am delighted that Laing O’Rourke has been selected as their delivery partner. Through the aforementioned strategies we will deliver this project on time and budget, but also to the satisfaction of all the stakeholders.”
Click here to read ‘APG and TH Real Estate to transform Edinburgh city centre’.
