July 6 2006
A planning application for SoCo, the mixed-use development to occupy the site created by the Cowgate fire in 2002, is expected to be submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council before the end of this year. Whiteburn, the developer, has launched a worldwide search for potential occupiers or co-investors for the prime 12,500 square metre city centre site, which could eventually feature a variety of uses such as a hotel, serviced apartments, retail, offices, art gallery and a nightclub. Alternative plans also include a significant amount of new housing. Central to Allan Murray’s proposals for the site are open squares and walkways linking South Bridge and Chambers Street to the Cowgate. “Our vision seeks to assist in the regeneration not only of the South Bridge, but also of the Cowgate and Chambers Street, linking them together perhaps for the first time since the 19th century,\" said Murray.
