A former government building earmarked for a large-scale student housing complex is set to be remarketed after £11 million plans to renovate it fell through.
St Margaret’s House in Meadowbank was acquired by Drum Property Group in 2016, with proposals to convert the site - currently home to the Edinburgh Palette arts charity - into almost 400 student flats and 100 homes.
A community backlash from the resident arts community forced a rethink with current landlords Caledonian Property Group laying out a pre-let plan which stated an agreement had to be struck with a student flat operator by the end of June.
However, that deadline has now passed, meaning the London Road building is set to be placed back on the open market.
Proposals for 377 student flats including 304 en-suite rooms and 73 studio apartments alongside 100 homes were lodged with City of Edinburgh Council in 2019.
According to the planning document, they offered a “significant opportunity to complement and contribute to the regeneration plans for the Meadowbank area.”
Edinburgh Palette is to remain the building for the foreseeable future, according to the Edinburgh Evening News.
The arts base is currently home to more than 200 workshops, as well as forming the headquarters of a charity and facilities for a martial arts studio among a host of other organisations and independent makers.
