Tonight the eastward side of Chambers Street between West College Street and South Bridge will be closed and the eastward side of Guthrie Street near the SoCo development will also be closed in its entirety to allow for crane operations on the site taking place overnight. There are alternative routes via Cowgate – Pleasance – West Richmond Street – Potterow – Teviot Place – Forrest Road – George IV Bridge

Roads will be closed from tomorrow until 12 July at Cowgate and Blair Street to allow utility work to take place at the new SoCo development being built there. Cowgate will be closed to through traffic from 7:00pm 21 – 25 June. Thereafter there will be temporary traffic lights.

It is 10 years since the Cowgate fire which eventually resulted in a gap site requiring redevelopment.

Jansons Property held the Topping Out ceremony on this site last month on the ninth floor of the development which will consist of a 259 bedroom hotel, night club, retail units and a public piazza space forward.

The company’s website describes the parts of the project which are still available for rent or purchase in this way:-“The remaining available premises comprise retail and leisure accommodation arranged over ground and mezzanine levels, with the benefit of double height frontage which is clearly visible from The Royal Mile.

“Soco has internal pedestrian links with South Bridge & Chambers Street where the subject properties will be situated below a Sainsbury’s Local and a 259 bed hotel pre-let to Ibis. The premises offer flexible spaces which may be sub-divided.

“A former nightclub and live music venue (La Belle Angele) will be reinstated within the rear of Level 2. La Belle Angele was a much loved venue and its return will be a welcome addition to the leisure circuit within the Old Town.”

The development is scheduled for completion by the end of this year, and this fly through will give you some idea of what the site will eventually look like.

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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
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