Sunshine on Leith Harbour?

£100m project promises 300+ new jobs, accommodation for 400 students and 120 rental homes.

Good news having been rather thin on the ground of late, we’re pleased to share the latest on an ambitious development project that aims to revitalise the harbour area of Leith in Edinburgh. Designed by architects CDA, the Ocean Point 2 scheme is still very much in the planning stage: the application has only just been lodged. But on the face of it, the proposal has a lot going for it. First of all, it’s a brownfield site. Perhaps more importantly, Leith is an area already enjoying a resurgence, partly thanks to the new tramline to the old port, which connects it to the heart of Edinburgh. With Michelin-starred restaurants, fashion shops, an attractive seafront and a vibrant music scene, Leith Harbour seems a fitting location for a project that will provide homes for hundreds of students and more for rent generally. As local walking guide Paul Stewart puts it in a recent Guardian article, “It feels more tram-spotting than Trainspotting”…

The Ocean Point 2 scheme comprises two buildings, in which there’ll be more than 400 student accommodation beds and 120 ‘build to rent’ homes. The developers estimate that 325 jobs will be generated overall. Right next door, the £100m Ocean Terminal development will create residential, commercial, retail, and hospitality premises to complete the transformation.

A spokesman for S Harrison said in constructionenquirer.com, “Our proposed development, if approved, will bring much-needed homes and student accommodation to an area which is undergoing a rapid transformation, delivering a truly mixed community.

Regenerating a current brownfield site, this development boasts excellent transport links, especially with the new tram line, and will deliver a significant investment into the local community.”