Edinburgh Today

Princes Street

Possible Redevelopment

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A proposal, drawn up by architect Malcolm Fraser, was put forward by Edinburgh City Centre Management Company, on 13 March 03.  The proposal was that fifteen of the lower quality buildings in Princes Street should be demolished and replaced by new shopping centres and luxury flats.

This suggestion has the support of the heritage body, The Cockburn Association.  However, if it is to proceed, even partially, it will need the agreement of the existing owners of the properties, and will need to be funded.

Edinburgh Evening News:  March15, 2003,  p.11.

Master Plan

Edinburgh City Centre Management Company (ECCMC) has prepared a master plan for Princes Street in which they suggest that British Homes Stores, Marks & Spencer, the Mount Royal Hotel above  M&S and the modern section of Jenners should be demolished and replaced by new department stores extending back to Rose Street, possibly with luxury flats above.

These proposals are similar to proposals drawn up earlier by the heritage watchdog, the Cockburn Association, working with the architect Malcolm Fraser.

Herald & Post:  November 11,  2004  -  page 5.

Will it Happen?

In an article in the Edinburgh Evening News in November 2005, Robbie Douglas Miller criticised ECCMC's expenditure of £400,000 on plans for Princes Street since 2001.  He expressed the view that their plans were unlikely to happen because Edinburgh Council does not own the buildings concerned and does not have the cash to buy them.

Gordon Reid said, on behalf of ECCMC said that there had been informal high level talks with owners of Princes Street properties.

ECCMC is a company set up by Edinburgh City Council to improve  Edinburgh city centre. 

Robbie Douglas Miller's family own the Mount Royal Hotel and until recently owned Jenners' department store.

Edinburgh Evening News>  November 29, 2005  -   pp.4-5.

'Burger King'

The upper floors of the former Burger King  burger bar at the corner of Castle Street and Princes Street is due to  be put on the market at the end of January 2006, for £1.5m with planning permission for conversion into five two-bedroom apartments.

Much of the accommodation in the upper floors in Princes Street (where several of the early photographers had studios in the mid-C19) is under-used, so further conversions to apartments might be expected in the future.

The Sunday Times,  January 15, 2006:  p.18