http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=111Whiteburn's bold new, mixed-use development - The Tun, Holyrood - close to Scotland's emerging new Parliament building, recently celebrated its start on site, with Melville Dundas appointed as main contractor. andamp;nbsp; The highly specified building, which is opposite the new Scotsman Headquarters and Dynamic Earth, will comprise some 2,600mandamp;sup2; (28,000 ftandamp;sup2;) of first class open plan office accommodation and over 1,400mandamp;sup2; (15,000 ftandamp;sup2;) of retail, bar and restaurant facilities. Over 50% of the space is under offer with 30% now pre-let. The Tun will be ready for occupation March 2001. andamp;nbsp; The BBC has now joined Scottish andamp;amp; Newcastle as tenants for The Tun. BBC Scotland will occupy a purpose built space on ground, first and second floors, planned to be operational by the time the Scottish Parliament moves to their new building in summer 2001. andamp;nbsp; John McCormick, Controller BBC Scotland, said: andquot;The Tun will offer an improved BBC presence which will encourage greater public access. It will also provide the flexible, creative workspace required to meet our future broadcasting needs.andquot; andamp;nbsp; Whiteburn's Director, John Shepherd, said: andquot;We are delighted to make a start on site, having attracted such high profile tenants, in what will be a landmark building in this exciting new area of the City. BBC Scotland will command a very high presence here and we're looking forward to working with them over the next year or so to ensure a successful start to their Holyrood coverage.andquot; andamp;nbsp; With Scottishandamp;amp; Newcastle's plans for an upmarket wine bar well advanced and lettings to other blue chip tenants in the pipeline, letting agent, John A S McGregor said andquot;We are also marketing the rooftop restaurant space, which has views across to Salisbury Crags and a dedicated lift. We are talking to the country's top operators to ensure Edinburgh's increasing demands for high quality food in exciting settings is well satisfied. We are also expecting keen demand for the remaining office space from firms and agencies, both large and small, looking to be represented near the new Parliament.andquot; andamp;nbsp; Designed by award-winning Edinburgh architectural practice, Allan Murray Architects, The Tun, with its subtly skewed and canted frontage onto Holyrood Road, combines a variety of cladding elements - patinated copper, zinc, planar glazing - to contrast with the original red and buff brick retained on the existing East Tun brewery building. The empathy created between old and new will produce a stunning result, especially when viewed from Salisbury Crags. andamp;nbsp; The general buzz at Holyrood grows daily, with the Holyrood Hotel and the Scotsman Headquarters now open for business, Dynamic Earth attracting well above its expected visitor numbers and the Scottish Parliament well under construction. andamp;nbsp; David Crichton, Chief Executive of LEEL said: andquot;We are delighted to welcome BBC Scotland to Holyrood. The Corporation's decision to broadcast from The Tun building underlines the quality of the development and of LEEL's regeneration project for the area. It also confirms the strategic importance of Holyrood as a prime location at the heart of Scotland's national renaissance.andquot; andamp;nbsp; The site forms part of the andquot;Holyrood Projectandquot; redevelopment being carried out on behalf of Dynamic Earth Charitable Trust by Development Services Partnership Ltd (DSP). andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=117Official opening of The Tun, Holyrood Road, on 30 January 2002 by Sir David Steel, presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament. andamp;nbsp; A striking contemporary building opens its doors this week in Edinburgh (30 January 2002) to organisations that will play a day-to-day part in the workings of the Scottish Parliament and the lives of people in Scotland. andamp;nbsp; The Tun - part of an andamp;pound;8 million development by Whiteburn on part of the old Scottish andamp;amp; Newcastle breweries site - sits next to the new Scottish Parliament. The Tun will house the BBC's new, state-of-the-art parliamentary studios as well as organisations including the European Parliament, the British Council Scotland, the Commission for Racial Equality, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. andamp;nbsp; The development is further proof that the decision to build the Parliament at Holyrood has resulted in major investment in the eastern part of Edinburgh's Old Town. Even now, well before the new Parliament building opens its doors, a real and tangible andquot;Holyrood Campusandquot; is taking place with a growing number of communities of interest deciding to base their activities close to the Parliament. The Tun itself, a fine contemporary building - has an unusual sloping front, which provides spectacular views of the Salisbury Crags - the result of an architectural competition won by Edinburgh firm, Allan Murray Architects. It was engineered by Arup Scotland and looks set to become one of the Old Town's focal landmarks. andamp;nbsp; The Tun cleverly combines the existing structure of the former East Tun brewery with a striking seven-storey addition fronting Holyrood Road, clad in pre-patinated copper, weathered zinc and glass. The former brewery has been gutted but the original brick walls retained. The rooftop area has been set aside for a restaurant, which will have panoramic views of the city skyline. andamp;nbsp; John Shepherd, Managing Director of Whiteburn, pointed out that The Tun development was an integral part of the master plan originally envisaged for the Holyrood North Site, the only part of the Holyrood Project that fell within the Historic Old Town Conservation area which is now a World Heritage Site. andamp;nbsp; He said: andquot;In converting this derelict brewery building, we have kept a vestige of the area's original, industrial heritage and created a striking contemporary landmark in Edinburgh's Old Town. The Tun looks set to be a prime centre for media, government liaison and cultural promotion. This building will be a new andquot;fermentation vesselandquot; in which many of the key initiatives affecting Scotland's economic, cultural and political aspirations within the UK, Europe and beyond will be brewed.andquot; andamp;nbsp; The Tun forms the commercial hub of the North Site, which includes housing developments by the Old Town Housing Association and others, buildings for Edinburgh University, the Scottish Poetry Library, the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland and the McDonald Holyrood Hotel. In addition to the roof top restaurant space, there are a number of specialist retail units at The Tun, for which Whiteburn's letting agents McGregors are seeking a variety of occupiers, such as hairdressers, newsagents, drycleaners and coffees shops to service this burgeoning community. andamp;nbsp; The North Site master plan was drawn up by John Hope for Development Services Partnership Limited who won the competition held to develop this site during 1992-93. Their vision was that the site would be split into smaller plots and each plot would have a different architect and end-user to reflect the diverse styles and uses of the Old Town. Proceeds from the development have contributed to the creation of the Dynamic Earth Centre on the south side of Holyrood. John Hope's layout for the North Site took on the linear forms of the Old Town and reintroduced closes and pedestrian walkways. Although only one building on the site was listed, six were retained to engender the mix of styles and ages of buildings rather than a totally modern environment. andamp;nbsp; Whiteburn have also just completed the acquisition of the neighbouring Clock Tower building for development to provide a further restaurant opportunity to complement The Tun. andamp;nbsp; Notes for Editors The Holyrood North Site covers some 4.5 acres which, based on the John Hope layout, Development Services Partnership Limited split into 17 individual plots. The total development cost is about andamp;pound;50 million although the development value is now probably at least double that figure. The majority of the funding has been provided by private sources. Public Funding on the North Site has accounted for approximately andamp;pound;3 million of the development cost with approximately andamp;pound;1 million from LEEL for the demolition and accommodation works, approximately andamp;pound;1.3 million grant from Scottish Homes for the social housing developments and andamp;pound;0.7 million from the Scottish Arts lottery fund for the Scottish Poetry Library. The final plots, with Planning Consent for a restaurant and offices respectively will be completed by early 2003. andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=116 Following 2 years in temporary office accommodation in the West End of Edinburgh, the European Parliament has decided to locate the EP Office in Scotland at The Tun - Whiteburn's exciting mixed-use development in Holyrood. andamp;nbsp; To celebrate the building nearing completion, Dermot Scott, Head of Office for Scotland will be attending the andquot;topping outandquot; ceremony at The Tun on Thursday 22 February at 12.30pm. andamp;nbsp; The European Parliament will be taking a lease on 265m2 (2,850 sq ft) of prime office space, with stunning views over to Salisbury Crags. They join the growing list of blue chip companies to be located in The Tun, Holyrood - BBC Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Boots and Scottish andamp;amp; Newcastle. andamp;nbsp; Whiteburn's director, John Shepherd, said andquot;On a formal level, securing the European Parliament as a tenant, in addition to the nation's major broadcaster and the government's business development agency, reinforces the message that The Tun is the place to be for any organisation wanting proximity to the Scottish Parliament.....and on an informal level, with its unique mix of cafandamp;eacute;s, bars and restaurants, The Tun should facilitate a sort of andquot;brownian motionandquot; between politicians, diplomats, civil servants and journalists, which may spark future initiatives for Scottish politics and business. andamp;nbsp; He added andquot;PR consultancies or other businesses who need to get close to Scotland's new government will want to consider seriously locating to The Tun. You could call it Scotland's answer to Millbank, but I think it will be more than that!andquot; andamp;nbsp; Letting agent, John McGregor, said andquot;With half the space now let, we're fielding queries from some rather interesting quarters and certainly hope to build on the diversity and quality of tenants already on board andamp;hellip; watch this space!andquot; andamp;nbsp; The Tun, Holyrood combines the redevelopment of the former East Tun brewery building with a stunning seven storey addition, clad in pre-patinated copper, weathered zinc and curtain wall glazing fronting Holyrood Road. Designed by Allan Murray Architects and engineered by Arup Scotland, it offers a wide range of office business space, retail and restaurant units. The Tun is currently under construction by contractor Melville Dundas and is due for completion in May 2001. andamp;nbsp; The site forms part of the andquot;Holyrood Projectandquot; redevelopment being carried out on behalf of Dynamic Earth Charitable Trust by Development Services Partnership Ltd (DSP). andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=119Celebrating in style on Tuesday evening at the Grosvenor, Park Lane John Shepherd, of Whiteburn, developers of The Tun, was delighted to collect two BCO awards for not only: the Scottish regional category for Commercial Workplace; but also the prestigious UK prize. The British Council of Offices primary objective is to define excellence in office space and the awards reflect this. andamp;nbsp; The criteria for the judges when evaluating projects included the effectiveness of the delivered workplace as a place to do business and the degree to which others could benefit by adopting ideas from the project into future work. andamp;nbsp; John Shepherd enthused andamp;ldquo;We are thrilled to get such recognition on a national platform for procuring a building which clearly satisfies the 21st century workspace needs of a diverse range of occupiers, such as we have at The Tun. This fits Whiteburnandamp;rsquo;s philosophy of tackling challenging urban sites and generating high quality imaginative and integrated solutions.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; Included in the party was Allan Murray, architect for The Tun, John McGregor, development adviser, and also representatives of two of the key tenants, Michael Bird OBE, Director of British Council Scotland and Tim Mee, from BBC Property. andamp;nbsp; Mr Bird, one of The Tunandamp;rsquo;s most enthusiastic tenants, commented andamp;ldquo;In every way The Tun is different from our previous premises; in every way it has fulfilled our expectations; in every way that we expected (and in many ways that we did not anticipate) it has made a positive impact on staff and visitors alike.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; For further information contact: andamp;nbsp; John Shepherd, Whiteburn tel: m 07850 789631 Visit http://www.the-tun.co.ukandamp;nbsp; Photography available on request. andamp;nbsp; Notes for Editors andamp;nbsp; The Project Team: andamp;nbsp; Developer: Whiteburn Holyrood Ltd Architect: Allan Murray Architects Letting Agent: McGregor, Chartered Surveyors Contractor: Melville Dundas Engineers: Arup Scotland Quantity Surveyors: CBA Funders: The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Managing Agents: CBRE Richard Ellis andamp;nbsp; Tenants located at The Tun include BBC Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish andamp;amp; Newcastle, Scottish Parliament, Commission for Racial Equality, European Parliament, British Council Scotland, and Siam Erawan. andamp;nbsp; The Tun development was an integral part of the master plan originally envisaged for the Holyrood North Site. The whole site covers some 4.5 acres, which based on the John Hope layout, Development Services Partnership Limited split into 17 individual plots. The total development cost was about andamp;pound;50 million although the development value is now probably at least double that figure. Adding to the diversity and range of amenities within the area, Whiteburn have secured Pizza Express, the national restaurant operator, as tenant for the adjacent Clock Tower site. The redevelopment is underway with Pizza Express due to commence their fitout in the New Year. Up above the developer is creating a unique apartment space with terrace overlooking Salisbury Crags. andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=121andamp;nbsp; In what has been an exciting year for developer/investors, Whiteburn, the Directors are celebrating the successful sale of their building at 45 Frederick Street to the Festival Hotels Ltd. Although the building was not being actively marketed, when an approach was made recently to John Shepherd of Whiteburn by agents acting for Festival, there followed a bit of straight talking and a deal was struck at andamp;pound;2.5million. Then with the support of expedient lawyers, missives concluded in what seemed like record time to close the deal. andamp;nbsp; The Festival Group, headed by entrepreneur Kenny Waugh, expanding their already extensive Edinburgh based operational and investment portfolio of bars, restaurants and hotels, identified this building with its successful street side cafandamp;eacute; and basement nightclub, as a suitable fit within their overall mix. For Whiteburn this concludes a successful property development and investment project. Purchased in 1995 from Seagram, using Malcolm Fraser Architects and John Dennis Contractors, Whiteburn completed the refurbishment of the elegant listed New Town building within nine months of acquisition, letting leisure and office space to tenants including Cafandamp;eacute; Rouge, Po Na Na and Blue-Chip Marketing. andamp;nbsp; A delighted Mr Shepherd enthused, andamp;ldquo;Itandamp;rsquo;s a fine building and was a bit of a barometer at the time for the Edinburgh market, having remained empty for five years following an aborted sale in 1990. We caught the upturn and managed to turn it around immediately to a ready market - with Cafandamp;eacute; Rouge very much starting the trend for outside eating in Edinburgh. Iandamp;rsquo;m very pleased to see the building go to Festival, whom Iandamp;rsquo;m sure will go on to maximise its potential in the long term.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; Acting as agents on behalf of Festival Hotels Ltd, Jonathan Sutton of Roxburgh andamp;amp; Company added: andamp;ldquo;This is a superb opportunity for Festival in terms of a further strategic property investment within Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s city centre. As part of an ongoing expansion programme, this purchase demonstrates the Groupandamp;rsquo;s strong belief in the multiple licensed trade market in Scotland and Roxburgh andamp;amp; Co. are delighted to be working with them on this latest acquisition.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; Photograph available: andamp;nbsp; Contact John Shepherd, Whiteburn, m 07850 789631 andamp;nbsp; Further information contact: andamp;nbsp; John Shepherd, Whiteburn m. 07850 789631 Jonathan Sutton, Roxburgh andamp;amp; Co, acting for Festival Hotels Ltd t. 0131 624 3700 andamp;nbsp; Note to Editors andamp;nbsp; Whiteburn is a well established, privately owned group of companies, specialising in property investment, development and project management across a range of sectors. Operating in eastern Scotland and southern England, the portfolio comprises commercial, retail, leisure and residential interests. andamp;nbsp; Last year Whiteburn sold a similar mixed-use building, the former Prudential Assurance Building in Albert Square, Dundee to a local investor, having overhauled the Alfred Waterhouse designed masterpiece, to create city centre flats, offices and a Pizza Express restaurant. andamp;nbsp; Last month Whiteburnandamp;rsquo;s flagship property, The Tun on Holyrood Road, housing BBC Scotland, the British Council, Scottish Enterprise, CRE and the European Parliament office, won both the Scottish regional and UK national awards for best Commercial Workplace at the prestigious British Council for Offices Awards 2003. andamp;nbsp; Current projects include the re-development of the distinctive Clocktower building, adjacent to The Tun, with Pizza Express again due to take up the cavernous ground and mezzanine floors, over looking a landscaped piazza early next year. andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=122A ceremony is taking place today to mark ten years since the commencement of the redevelopment of the Holyrood North site, with the official unveiling of a poem by Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s first appointed Makar, Stewart Conn. The poem celebrates the transformation of the former brewery site and is dedicated to the late Sir Alick Rankin who, as chairman of Scottish andamp;amp; Newcastle Plc in the early 1990s, was the driving force behind the establishment of the Holyrood Brewery Foundation, which kick-started this renaissance. andamp;nbsp; Stewart Connandamp;rsquo;s couplets have been laser cut into stainless steel chequerplate at the apron of the new Clocktower piazza next to The Tun on Holyrood Road. Sir Alickandamp;rsquo;s widow Lady Rankin will unveil the Makarandamp;rsquo;s words at 12 noon to an invited gathering of those who have contributed to and benefited from this regeneration project. andamp;nbsp; A development competition instigated by Dynamic Earth Charitable Trust (the development vehicle created by the Foundation) was won by Development Services Partnership in late 1993, since when the 5 acre site has been selectively demolished, landscaped and re-constructed by a variety of developers and end users, under John C Hopeandamp;rsquo;s sensitive masterplan. This has resulted in an eclectic mix of housing, hotels and other buildings, both new and refurbished andamp;ndash; many of which have won awards andamp;ndash; and which are now home to a plethora of new commercial, cultural, retail and leisure users, such as BBC Scotland, Royal Fine Arts for Scotland, the Scottish Poetry Library and the British Council. andamp;nbsp; Frank Spratt, Managing Director of DSP said andamp;ldquo;The Holyrood North Site Project has been a major part of my life since late 1992. However DSP would never have has this opportunity without the character and vision of Sir Alick Rankinandamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; John Shepherd, developer of The Tun and the Clocktower, and hosting todayandamp;rsquo;s event enthused andamp;ldquo;Stewart Conn seemed the obvious choice, but when we met here last October I think he was a little nervous about what lay ahead, never having been asked to write an ode to a building site before! I hope all will agree he has been more than equal to the task.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; The plaque also lists many of the organisations, including developers, architects, consultants and agents who have contributed to redevelopment of the site. andamp;nbsp; For further information contact andamp;nbsp; John Shepherd, Whiteburn tel: 0131 226 1099 m: 07850 789631 andamp;nbsp; Frank Spratt, Development Services Partnership tel: 0131 558 9445 andamp;nbsp; Notes for Editors andamp;nbsp; The Holyrood North site, formerly owned and operated by Scottish and Newcastle Plc and transferred to Dynamic Earth Charitable Trust by the Holyrood Brewery Foundation, covers some 4.5 acres, The redevelopment, based on the John C Hope masterplan, was managed and co-ordinated by Development Services Partnership Limited, who split into some 17 individual serviced plots for sale to developers or end users, mainly prior to the announcement of the siting of new Scottish Parliament. The total development cost has been estimated at andamp;pound;50 million, although the development value is now probably at least double that figure. The majority of the funding has been provided by private sources. Public Funding on the North Site has accounted for approximately andamp;pound;3 million of the development cost with approximately andamp;pound;1 million from SEEL for the demolition and accommodation works, approximately andamp;pound;1.3 million grant from Scottish Homes for the social housing developments and andamp;pound;0.7 million from the Scottish Arts lottery fund for the Scottish Poetry Library. andamp;nbsp; Award winning buildings on the Holyrood North Site andamp;nbsp; The Tun: Whiteburn Holyrood Ltd/Allan Murray Architects andamp;nbsp; BCO Award 2003 Commercial Workplace Scotland BCO Award 2003 Commercial Workplace National andamp;nbsp; 112 Canongate: Old Town Housing Association/Richard Murphy Architects andamp;nbsp; Saltire Society Award 2000 andamp;ndash; New Housing andamp;nbsp; Morgan Court Student Housing: Ungless andamp;amp; Latimer andamp;nbsp; Civic Trust Commendation 2000 Scottish Poetry Library: Malcolm Fraser Architects andamp;nbsp; Royal Scottish Academy Gold Medal for Architecture 1997 Civic Trust Award 2000 Edinburgh Architectural Association Silver Medal 2000 Scottish Design Award 2000 RIBA Award 2000 andamp;nbsp; Regeneration of Scotland High Commission 2000 Holyrood Park: Teague Homes/Campbell andamp;amp; Arnott andamp;nbsp; Saltire Society Award Chartered Institute of Building Award andamp;nbsp; Holyrood North Site: Dynamic Earth Charitable Trust/John C Hope Architects andamp;nbsp; Dynamic Place Award 2001 for Open Spaces andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=123The start of 2005 has seen a flurry of activity as Whiteburn expands the team, bringing in an exciting mix of skills and experience. Continuing our strategy of conceiving and seeking out innovative urban regeneration projects, we believe the depth of expertise our new arrivals bring will support and enhance our growth plans. andamp;nbsp; John Campbell andamp;ndash; consultant: John led CB Hillier Parkerandamp;rsquo;s (CBRE) Scottish operation until his retirement in 2002 and has some 35 yearsandamp;rsquo; experience in the property market. He has been involved in a number of significant commercial property development and investment transactions throughout Scotland. Johnandamp;rsquo;s appointment will add depth and breadth to Whiteburnandamp;rsquo;s strategic thinking and enable us to tackle a greater range of exciting and challenging urban regeneration projects. andamp;nbsp; David Johnson andamp;ndash; development manager: as a qualified surveyor, David has had a wide range of development experience with, among others, Jarvis and the Miller group. He will be helping us to secure, implement and deliver the projects we are currently working up and initiate new opportunities. andamp;nbsp; Mark Cousins andamp;ndash; design consultant: formerly an associate at Allan Murray Architects, where he was project architect on The Tun, Markandamp;rsquo;s role is to help us in preliminary feasibility exercises and add his design skills to selected projects. andamp;nbsp; For further information and to contact our new team please check out their profiles: John Campbell | David Johnson | Mark Cousins andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=124This weekend as hundreds of adventure devotees descend on Edinburgh, one of their challenges will be to abseil off the top of The Tun, Whiteburnandamp;rsquo;s award winning office building on Holyrood Road. Launching themselves from the roof terrace of the newly fitted out 5th floor office space, under the watchful eyes of the Stuart Johnston Mountaineering team, a sheer drop down the pre-patinated copper west facade (v diff) will greet them, as they pass the windows of the European Parliament, Scottish Enterprise and BBC Scotland on their way back to earth. andamp;nbsp; John Shepherd, managing director of Whiteburn Projects, the developers and owners of The Tun, enthuses andamp;ldquo;The idea of having 300 Rat Racers swinging off The Tun was suggested to me whilst I was dangling at the end of a rope off the Pinnacle Ridge in the Cuillins in the capable hands of Stuart Johnston - how could I refuse?!andamp;rdquo; John went on to say, andamp;ldquo;Bringing adventure sports into an urban environment excites us at Whiteburn, as we ourselves root out awkward and challenging urban situations for our own development projects.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; As a pre-cursor to the rat race a number of enthusiastic property agents had the chance to test out the abseil this morning whilst viewing the vacant 5th floor office space. They were greeted with a dram of whisky as they completed their descent. andamp;nbsp; Whiteburn are committed to the regeneration of the Old Town and Holyrood, having successfully redeveloped both The Tun and the neighbouring Clock Tower buildings and are currently working up new development opportunities in the area. andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=126Whiteburn Projects Ltd today confirmed they have agreed terms to purchase the historic Cowgate/South Bridge fire site from the eight current owners. andamp;nbsp; The former tenement site, previously home to a host of retail outlets, offices, pubs and venues, including the Gilded Balloon, Bridge Jazz Bar, La Belle Angele nightclub, Leisureland amusement arcade, the Edinburgh Acting School and Edinburgh University School of Informatics, was destroyed by a fire three years ago in December 2002. Following demolition and making safe of the adjoining buildings, organised by the City of Edinburgh Council, the site has lain vacant. Tireless endeavours have since ensued by leading local architect Malcolm Fraser, assisted by Hardies Quantity Surveyors, and then latterly McGregor Chartered Surveyors, to coordinate the interests of the eight joint owners. andamp;nbsp; Invitations were issued to potential development partners to reconstruct the former configuration of retail, office and licensed premises for the joint owners and carry out a new development in the airspace formerly occupied by Edinburgh University on the upper floors. andamp;nbsp; However Whiteburn went a step further and presented an unconditional offer to buy out the interests of all but one of the owners (whose former nightclub will be reinstated), to enable a full redevelopment of the site by one party, well experienced in dealing with difficult inner city sites. andamp;nbsp; John Shepherd, Chief Executive of Whiteburn, award winning developers of The Tun office building and the adjacent Clock Tower on Holyrood Road, said andamp;ldquo;We are very pleased to have reached this agreement on the purchase of such an important site in the heart of the Old Town and look forward to the challenge of putting back a very significant building. However, thereandamp;rsquo;s much work still to be done to finalise the conveyancing exercise andamp;ndash; many signatures required on many documents! Itandamp;rsquo;s certainly the most complex transaction weandamp;rsquo;ve ever undertaken, involving the separation of the ownerships between the destroyed and remaining parts of the tenement and Iandamp;rsquo;m grateful to the joint owners for their patience whilst our respective legal teams have delved into the title complexities.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; Looking forward, Whiteburn, with Allan Murray Architects, are currently examining at a number of configurations and have already talked to a variety of potential end users on what could be a very exciting mixed use development. These include the Edinburgh International Film Festival (for whom unfortunately this opportunity has probably arisen too early), hotel operators, conference organisers and various licensed occupiers. andamp;nbsp; Alternatively, the Scottish Court Service may also have a requirement for some new courts in this area and residential uses could also make up the balance. andamp;nbsp; Mr Shepherd went onto say that, andamp;ldquo;We look forward in due course to securing the support of the City planning department and relevant statutory bodies in helping us re-develop this complex site. Weandamp;rsquo;ll also be listening to the various interest and lobbying groups; relishing this opportunity to create a 21st century building here to enhance and link South Bridge and the Cowgate. Itandamp;rsquo;s obviously a site that has generated enormous public interest since the sad demise of the former buildings and weandamp;rsquo;ll want to leave no stone unturned in ensuring weandamp;rsquo;ve reached the right solution.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=127A andamp;pound;40 million vision to breathe new life into a prominent Old Town site in Edinburgh, which was devastated by fire in 2002, was unveiled today (22 May 2006). andamp;nbsp; Following conclusion of a complex negotiation to purchase the site from the eight former owners in December last year, the major regeneration project will now be driven by Edinburgh-based, family-owned development company Whiteburn, which also constructed the award-winning Tun building beside the new Scottish Parliament. andamp;nbsp; The vacant site, which is bounded by South Bridge to the east and the Cowgate to the north, together with the remaining corner tenement on Chambers Street, will be transformed into a vibrant new city district. The developers believe that the new hub, aptly named SoCo, will act as a catalyst to attract new interest and investment in the area, which lies at the heart of the Old Town and forms part of Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s World Heritage site. andamp;nbsp; The company has launched a worldwide search for potential occupiers or co-investors for the prime 12,500 sq m city centre site, which could eventually feature a variety of uses such as a hotel, serviced apartments, retail, offices, art gallery and a nightclub, in a new building. Alternative plans also include a significant amount of new housing to strengthen the city centre and inner city communities. andamp;nbsp; Award-winning Edinburgh architect Allan Murray, who also designed The Tun for Whiteburn, has been enlisted to draw up proposals for the site. Central to the design are open squares and walkways linking South Bridge and Chambers Street to the Cowgate. andamp;nbsp; Construction of SoCo is expected to create around 100 jobs and more than 200 once the building has been completed. andamp;nbsp; John Shepherd, chief executive of Whiteburn, said: andamp;ldquo;At SoCo, thrilling 21st century architecture will bring together all the levels and layers of this intricate and energetic part of town. It will pitch you right into the heart of everything Edinburgh has to offer and kick-start the regeneration of this well-known but disconnected quarter.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; Jonathan Sutton of Storeys:ssp, agent for the developer, said: andamp;ldquo;SoCo will be a fabulous location for a hotel, luxury apartments or new HQ. As an exciting cultural centre, it would be perfect for a gallery, filmhouse, concert hall or fringe venue. Weandamp;rsquo;re already fielding enquiries from a variety of potential end users.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; Mr Murray said the proposed new building will act as a catalyst in the regeneration of the South Bridge and Cowgate areas of Edinburgh. andamp;nbsp; andamp;ldquo;Good urban design is not simply about buildings or facades. It is about finding the right dynamic mix of uses, forging useful pedestrian links, making new urban spaces and creating a sense of place and character. andamp;nbsp; andamp;ldquo;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.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; He added: andamp;ldquo;Bringing together vibrant new uses that address both the South Bridge and the Cowgate, SoCo will redress some of the concerns that many of us have over the quality of environment. andamp;nbsp; andamp;ldquo;We look forward to creating a new piece of high quality architecture in this much neglected part of the Old Town.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; A planning application for SoCo is expected to be submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council later this year. The re-development is expected to take around three years to complete. andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=136Whiteburn Projects marked the completion of their purchase of Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s historic Cowgate/South Bridge fire-site withandamp;nbsp;the launch of an urban adventure race in the city. andamp;nbsp; The former tenement site andamp;ndash; devastated by a massive blazeandamp;nbsp;in 2002 andamp;ndash; which will feature a variety of new uses such asandamp;nbsp;a hotel, serviced apartments, art gallery, shops, restaurantsandamp;nbsp;and bars is set to become the lynch-pin of a new vibrant cityandamp;nbsp;district called SoCo. andamp;nbsp; The last chapter of this long-awaited deal, which followsandamp;nbsp;18 months of complex negotiations with the siteandamp;rsquo;s eightandamp;nbsp;owners, was celebrated with the launch of Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s Ratandamp;nbsp;Race Urban Adventure (July 15andamp;ndash;16).andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; Almost 500 participants competed in a variety of disciplinesandamp;nbsp;such as kayaking and mountain-iking over a set circuit,andamp;nbsp;which included abseiling down the SoCo site. andamp;nbsp; Whiteburn is in talks with a number of hotel operatorsandamp;nbsp;to occupy the 12,000 sq m site, which lies in the heartandamp;nbsp;of Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s World Heritage Site and Old Town. andamp;nbsp; A planning application is expected to be submitted to theandamp;nbsp;City of Edinburgh Council later this year, with theandamp;nbsp;development set to be completed within three years. andamp;nbsp; The South Bridge/Cowgate site was previously home toandamp;nbsp;a host of retail outlets, offices, pubs and venues, includingandamp;nbsp;the Gilded Balloon comedy venue, Bridge Jazz Bar, La Belleandamp;nbsp;Angele nightclub, Leisureland amusement arcade,andamp;nbsp;the Edinburgh Acting School and University of Edinburghandamp;rsquo;sandamp;nbsp;School of Informatics. andamp;nbsp; Following the blaze in December 2002, leading Edinburghandamp;nbsp;architect Malcolm Fraser, Hardies Quantity Surveyors andandamp;nbsp;McGregor Chartered Surveyors moved to co-ordinate theandamp;nbsp;interests of the eight joint owners. andamp;nbsp; Invitations were issued to potential development partnersandamp;nbsp;to reconstruct the former configuration of retail, office andandamp;nbsp;licensed premises for the joint owners and carry out a newandamp;nbsp;development in the airspace formerly occupied by theandamp;nbsp;University of Edinburgh on the upper floors. andamp;nbsp; However, Whiteburn went a step further and pitched in withandamp;nbsp;an unconditional offer to buy out the interests of all but oneandamp;nbsp;of the owners (whose former nightclub will be reinstated),andamp;nbsp;to enable a full redevelopment of the site by one party,andamp;nbsp;well experienced in dealing with difficult inner city sites. andamp;nbsp; John Shepherd, chief executive of Whiteburn, said he wasandamp;nbsp;delighted the deal to buy the site had been completed. andamp;nbsp; andamp;ldquo;We are very pleased to have purchased this importantandamp;nbsp;site in the heart of the Old Town and look forward to theandamp;nbsp;challenge of putting back a very significant building.andamp;nbsp;It was certainly the most complex transaction weandamp;rsquo;ve everandamp;nbsp;undertaken, involving the separation of the ownershipsandamp;nbsp;between the destroyed and remaining parts of the tenement,andamp;nbsp;and Iandamp;rsquo;m grateful to the joint owners for their patience whilstandamp;nbsp;our respective legal teams delved into the title complexities.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; andamp;ldquo;We have already taken many steps to secure the supportandamp;nbsp;of the City Planning Department and relevant statutoryandamp;nbsp;bodies in helping us redevelop this complex site and relishandamp;nbsp;the opportunity to create a 21st century building hereandamp;nbsp;to enhance and link South Bridge and the Cowgate.andamp;nbsp;Itandamp;rsquo;s obviously a site that has generated enormous publicandamp;nbsp;interest since the sad demise of the former buildings andandamp;nbsp;weandamp;rsquo;ll want to leave no stone unturned in ensuring weandamp;rsquo;veandamp;nbsp;reached the right solution.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; He added: andamp;ldquo;Our marketing is now fully underway andandamp;nbsp;we have had strong interest from several leading hotelandamp;nbsp;operators. Weandamp;rsquo;re also keen, if we can, to establish a publicandamp;nbsp;venue such as a gallery, festival fringe spot, concert spaceandamp;nbsp;or specialist cinema as part of the wider redevelopment.andamp;nbsp;Having the Rat Race kick off their urban adventure on SoCo,andamp;nbsp;I think was a great way to reinforce our commitment toandamp;nbsp;urban rejuvenation on keys sites such as this in Scotland.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; Jonathan Sutton of storeys:ssp, Whiteburnandamp;rsquo;s developmentandamp;nbsp;agents, said: andamp;ldquo;Thereandamp;rsquo;s no doubt SoCo presents a terrificandamp;nbsp;opportunity to breathe new life into the area by fullyandamp;nbsp;exploiting the potential of one of Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s key gap sites.andamp;rdquo;andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; Award-winning Edinburgh architect Allan Murray, who hasandamp;nbsp;been enlisted to draw up designs for the andamp;pound;40 million project,andamp;nbsp;said: andamp;ldquo;Our vision seeks to assist in the regeneration notandamp;nbsp;only of the South Bridge and the Cowgate, linking themandamp;nbsp;together perhaps for the first time since the 19th century,andamp;nbsp;but also feeding around the corner into Chambers Street,andamp;nbsp;where Edinburgh City Council is planning significantandamp;nbsp;streetscape improvements.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; He added: andamp;ldquo;Bringing together vibrant new uses that addressandamp;nbsp;both the South Bridge and the Cowgate levels, SoCo willandamp;nbsp;redress some of the concerns that many of us have overandamp;nbsp;the quality of environment. We look forward to creatingandamp;nbsp;a new piece of high quality architecture in this muchandamp;nbsp;neglected part of the Old Town.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; Notes to Editors The former eight owners of the site are: andamp;nbsp; Luminar Dancing Limited Georgina Codona Cowgate Arts Limited Mapprop Property Investment University of Edinburgh Hafid Mahboubi Iain McKain Unique Pub Properties andamp;nbsp; Please note the purchase contract with Hafid Mahboubiandamp;nbsp;is subject to a reconstruction and forward sale agreementandamp;nbsp;for a nightclub shell on the location of his former La Belleandamp;nbsp;Angele nightclub, subject to planning and licensing. andamp;nbsp; Whiteburn Holdings Ltd, incorporating Whiteburnandamp;nbsp;Projects Ltd, is a family-owned development company.andamp;nbsp;It kick-started the Edinburgh pavement cafandamp;eacute; revolution inandamp;nbsp;the 1990andamp;rsquo;s with Cafandamp;eacute; Rouge; created Scotlandandamp;rsquo;s first genuineandamp;nbsp;lofts at Leith Lofts and built the best commercial officeandamp;nbsp;building in Scotland and the UK (The Tun andamp;ndash; winner of twoandamp;nbsp;BCO Awards in 2003). andamp;nbsp; Issued by Weber Shandwick on behalf of Whiteburn. For further information contact Sam Halstead T: 0131 556 6649 or M: 07770 886 937. andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=130 New Megavenue C SoCo is set to accelerate the rejuvenation of Edinburgh's Old Town this summer. andamp;nbsp; The world was watching when, on 7 December 2002, flames engulfed the creative heart of Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s Old Town. Five years on the artistic legacy of this area will be acknowledged in a new venture from Festival force C venues. Ahead of the hotly anticipated SoCo redevelopment by Whiteburn Projects, the block spanning Chambers Street, South Bridge and Cowgate will be reborn as a major arts complex for Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2007. andamp;nbsp; C venues have an unrivalled track record as venue producers in Edinburgh. Their proven innovation in the construction of temporary performance spaces has born diverse productions across Edinburgh. Based next to their powerhouse theatre complex on Chambers Street, the new seven-storey megavenue C SoCo will capitalise on C venuesandamp;rsquo; position as the most central performance spaces in the Festival city. As a result Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s ancient gateway, Cowgate, will once again welcome travellers from across the country andamp;ndash; and beyond. andamp;nbsp; Hartley T A Kemp, Director of C venues, said: andamp;ldquo;The SoCo site has long stood as our neighbour representing pure performance potential. We are excited to have this opportunity to realise a truly comprehensive theatre complex in the centre of Edinburgh. Each year we welcome companies from across the world. C SoCo, together with our four established venues, will be a fitting home for their work at CtheFestival 2007.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; Whiteburnandamp;rsquo;s chief executive John Shepherd said andamp;rdquo;Weandamp;rsquo;re very excited at the prospect of the SoCo site becoming home to one of the top Festival venues this summer. The Cowgate has obviously had a long association with the Fringe andamp;ndash; itandamp;rsquo;ll be a good to see some activity on the site while weandamp;rsquo;re working up our longer term development plans.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; C SoCo will feature indoor and outdoor performance spaces, site-specific theatre, exhibitions and art installations, cafandamp;eacute;s and bars. The presence of the C and C SoCo adjoining each other on Chambers Street will place the SoCo site firmly on the map as the centre of the Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s cultural quarter. andamp;nbsp; The C SoCo venue will run from 1andamp;ndash;27 August as part of C venuesandamp;rsquo; 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme. andamp;nbsp; For further information, comment and interview availability please contact Kieran Healey, Press and Marketing Manager, C venues andamp;nbsp; telephone 0845 260 1060 / mobile 07792 948 216 / email press@cvenues.com andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=131Work on clearing the remaining walls and foundations on Edinburgh's fire-hit Cowgate site is set to get underway. andamp;nbsp; Whiteburn, the owner of the site, is to start initial clearance work, paving the way for the area to be transformed into a temporary Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue in August. andamp;nbsp; Smoke-damaged furniture and other material from the upper floors of the neighbouring Chambers Street building will also be removed as part of the project, which is expected to last up to three months. andamp;nbsp; The work has been approved by the City of Edinburgh Councilandamp;rsquo;s Planning Department and will be carried out in conjunction with the local authorityandamp;rsquo;s archaeologist in order to safeguard any historical remains which may be located within the site. andamp;nbsp; The brand new Festival venue, andamp;ldquo;C SoCoandamp;rdquo;, will feature an international programme from C venues, one of the leading independent Fringe venue producers. andamp;nbsp; A planning application to create a new vibrant city district called SoCo is expected to be lodged with the City of Edinburgh Council in the summer. andamp;nbsp; David Kilgour, project manager with Whiteburn, said: andamp;ldquo;This work will enable us to prepare the site so the temporary Festival venue can be established safely and will ensure the SoCo site is also in the best possible condition for Festival visitors in August.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; Whiteburn is in talks with a number of companies interested in occupying the 12,000 sq m site, which lies in the heart of Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s World Heritage Site and Old Town. andamp;nbsp; The South Bridge/Cowgate site was previously home to a host of retail outlets, offices, pubs and venues, including the Gilded Balloon comedy venue, Bridge Jazz Bar, La Belle Angele nightclub, Leisureland amusement arcade and the University of Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s School of Informatics. The buildings were destroyed by a major blaze in December 2002, which attracted worldwide attention. andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; Issued by Weber Shandwick on behalf of Whiteburn. For further information contact Sam Halstead T: 0131 556 6649 or Mobile: 07770 886 937. andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=135 Whiteburn has sold The Tun building in Edinburgh's Holyrood area. andamp;nbsp; The award-winning building near the new Scottish Parliament has been purchased by Cordea Savills fund managers, on behalf of The Charities Property Fund, in a deal worth in the order of andamp;pound;15m. andamp;nbsp; The Tun, which was designed by Edinburgh architect Allan Murray, was judged the best commercial workplace in the UK by the British Council for Offices in 2003. andamp;nbsp;Current occupants in The Tun include BBC Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, the European Parliament, The Tun Bar andamp;amp; Kitchen, the Commission for Racial Equality, the British Council Scotland and the General Medical Council. andamp;nbsp; The deal for the 43,410 sq ft building represents an initial yield of 5.4 per cent on standard purchasing costs and 5.7 per cent to the purchaser as they are tax exempt. andamp;nbsp; Edinburgh-based property development company Whiteburn completed The Tun in 2001, retaining the shell of the former William Younger Brewery building, but adding a modern faandamp;ccedil;ade. andamp;nbsp; John Shepherd, chief executive of Whiteburn, said: andquot;This deal reflects the underlying confidence not only in the prospering Holyrood area, but in the Edinburgh investment market.andquot; andamp;nbsp; He added: andquot;This was a challenging redevelopment undertaken by Whiteburn as we purchased the site prior to the announcement that the new Scottish Parliament was to be located in Holyrood. The redevelopment of Holyrood has been one of Edinburgh's success stories.andquot; andamp;nbsp; John Kehoe, spokesperson for Cordea Savills, said: andquot;This property provided an opportunity for the fund to purchase good length income from undoubted covenants in an area showing signs of strong rental growth. The property also appealed to the fund on first principles, holding a number of architectural and environmental awards.andquot; andamp;nbsp; Gavin Willins, director of Capital Markets at CB Richard Ellis, said: andamp;ldquo;Itandamp;rsquo;s great news that we have now concluded this sale for Whiteburn, which has sold the development to benefit from the strength of the Edinburgh investment market and reinvest the proceeds in new projects. Cordea Savills was attracted by the quality of the accommodation within this landmark property and the strong tenant covenants. andamp;nbsp; andamp;ldquo;Yields have moved out slightly in the last quarter, however, the limited supply of offices in Edinburgh and signs of rental growth coming through would suggest that Edinburgh is well placed to attract continued investor interest for the right product.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; CB Richard Ellis represented Whiteburn while Davidson Chalmers provided their legal expertise. Tods Murray solicitors represented Cordea Savills. andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=132When it comes to the latest corporate entertainment, getting andamp;ldquo;PHATandamp;rdquo; in the Alps now means more than dining on one too many fondues. While countless businessmen and women will enjoy yet another sojourn to a plush resort with beautifully groomed pistes andandamp;nbsp;luxurious aprandamp;egrave;s-ski this season, Scottish urban regeneration and property development company Whiteburn Projects Ltd have decided to treat their corporate friends to an event with a difference. andamp;nbsp; Jokingly embracing the attitude and lingo from the andamp;ldquo;ubercoolandamp;rdquo; snowsports culture, the UKandamp;rsquo;s property industry has been invited by Whiteburn to turn all andamp;ldquo;bad boy and baggyandamp;rdquo; for a day in Chamonix on Friday 1st February: The andamp;ldquo;Whiteburn PHAT Challengeandamp;rdquo; will be aandamp;nbsp;fun, four-cross ski-racing knockout competition, along with music on the mountains, vin chaud and some big air entertainment. andamp;nbsp; John Shepherd, CEO of Whiteburn who commissioned the event, explains: andamp;ldquo;Itandamp;rsquo;s time for something different! For the past few years, along with 400 other propertyandamp;nbsp;industry professionals, the team at Whiteburn have religiously attended the excellent Giant Slalom weekend in Courmayeur, organized by Lambert-Smith-Hampton. But we felt there was an opportunity to add a wee bit of excitement to the build up for the big race. Since Whiteburn Projects are all about innovation and dynamic solutions, we decided to take the matter into our own hands and have organized a lively day-trip to Chamonix as a fun rebel offshoot event andamp;ndash; itandamp;rsquo;ll be a great warm-up for LSHandamp;rsquo;s main race day on Saturday 2nd. andamp;nbsp; We chose Chamonix Mont Blanc because most delegates at the LSH Giant Slalom will already have a day-pass to Chamonix included in their Courmayeur lift pass. It is a spectacular mountain range with such great skiing that we always make sure we pop over each yearandamp;hellip; so we decided to share the experience.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; An action-packed French day out on Les Grands Montets, Chamonix Mont Blanc, the event is designed to be simple, unadulterated fun, with race prizes, entertainments, lunch, drinks and various winter goodies on the mountain. Prizes include skis courtesy of Dynastar and winter kit courtesy of The North Face and Buff Headwear. Entertainment comprises local heroes DJ Charlie Bob Marley and MC Jon Trigell (award winning novelist and author of andamp;ldquo;Chamandamp;rdquo;), with some proposed big air demos by French skiers and boarders. All this will be filmed and photographed, so every participant can be a hero. andamp;nbsp; The andamp;ldquo;skiercrossandamp;rdquo; competition is essentially a knockout series of heats in each of which four skiers race side by side, following a course of achievable jumps, bumps and berms. andamp;nbsp; But can we really imagine countless corporates in studded belts and sideways goggles, hooning it down a freestyle ski slope? John Shepherd is looking forward to the prospect. andamp;ldquo;At the end of the day, our brief to event-organizers MUD Unlimited and Chamonix based Evolution-2, was simply that we just want all our guests to have a really good laugh! While the race is professionally organized with great sponsors and serious prizes, the theme is funandamp;hellip; Pretty Hot and Tempting (PHAT) fun.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; Places are limited to 50 participants but andamp;ldquo;groupiesandamp;rdquo; have been welcomed too. Edinburgh based Brodies Lawyers are providing a bus to take delegates to and from Chamonix.http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=133Pret a Manger founder signs up for SoCo development as Whiteburn submit detailed planning application for Cowgate fire-hit site andamp;nbsp; One of the UK's most innovative hotels, led by the founder of Pret a Manger, has checked-in to Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s SoCo, as a planning application is submitted for the prominent Old Town site. andamp;nbsp; Hoxton Urban Lodge has struck a deal with Edinburgh developer Whiteburn Projects to construct a 200 plus bedroom hotel as part of a mixed use re-development of the derelict Cowgate fire-hit site in the heart of the Scottish capital. andamp;nbsp; The boutique hotel company, run by Sinclair Beecham, the co-founder of the sandwich chain Pret a Manger, has reached an agreement with Whiteburn coinciding with the submission of a detailed planning application to the City of Edinburgh Council for the andamp;pound;40 million SoCo development. andamp;nbsp; Subject to planning approval and the granting of the necessary liquor licenses from the local authority, construction could start next year, with completion anticipated within a further two years. andamp;nbsp; The hotel represents the Hoxton group's first foray outside London and forms part of ambitious expansion plans for the company across the UK. andamp;nbsp; John Shepherd, chief executive of Whiteburn, said: andamp;nbsp;andamp;ldquo;We had a great response from a number of leading hotel operators, however, the Hoxton philosophy epitomised our own approach to the site. andamp;nbsp; With its funky budget boutique approach, this hotel hit the ground running when it opened in Shoreditch, one of Londonandamp;rsquo;s hippest districts, last year - and I am certain Hoxton will absolutely hit the mark on South Bridge too. andamp;nbsp; andquot;It will become the destination for people to stay, work and relax, within a vastly improved environment - providing jobs and kick-starting the regeneration of the whole South Bridge/Cowgate area andamp;ndash; a very positive event in these uncertain times!andquot; andamp;nbsp; He added: andquot;Whiteburn Projects has also worked hard to meet the City of Edinburgh Council's planning brief for this site, at the same time addressing Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s shortage of hotel bedrooms.andquot; andamp;nbsp; Sinclair Beecham, of Hoxton Urban Lodge, said: andamp;ldquo;Iandamp;rsquo;m delighted to have the opportunity to build our second hotel in the Scotlandandamp;rsquo;s first destination city. Whiteburn and Allan Murray Architects have done a terrific job in accommodating our demanding requirements for an efficient, modern hotel operation into a sensitive World Heritage site such as this one in Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s Old Town.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; Allan Murray Architects of Edinburgh, enlisted by Whiteburn to draw up designs for the project, said the design was a contemporary interpretation of the existing buildings on South Bridge and the Cowgate. andamp;nbsp; andquot;SoCo will be a collection of buildings in sympathy with the contrasting urban grains of Chambers Street, South Bridge and the Cowgate, complemented by a network of closes and vennels. A series of courts, terraces and entrance spaces at different levels, with different uses will bring vibrancy to the area.andquot; andamp;nbsp; The SoCo development, accessed primarily from South Bridge, but also the Cowgate, will feature a restaurant and bar, along with business facilities and a retail kiosk.The hotel entrance on South Bridge will feature a dramatic atrium space behind the natural sandstone faandamp;ccedil;ade, dropping down into the new restaurant. andamp;nbsp; Central to Whiteburnandamp;rsquo;s plan is the creation of two new courtyards within the site, opening up to cafe and restaurant terraces, linked to South Bridge and Chambers Street via two new pends, and down to the Cowgate opposite Blair Street, via new public steps.andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; The existing steps down from Guthrie Street will be retained and Hastieandamp;rsquo;s Close will be substantially repaired and repaved. andamp;nbsp;The view to the historic Old College dome from Hunter Square has been enhanced as part of the proposals - now complemented by a new focal point tower on Cowgate, with a glazed link bridge over the steps to the re-constructed South Bridge gable. andamp;nbsp; A retail unit on South Bridge, and a business centre and a potential festival venue on the Cowgate, are also proposed. The business centre will benefit from the flourishing conference market in the Scottish capital. andamp;nbsp; The site includes the upper levels of the existing former University of Edinburgh's corner building on 1-3 Chambers Street and a small annex building of the neighbouring Faith nightclub. Key to the scheme will be the reinstatement of the former la Belle Angele nightclub and an extension to the Jazz cellar on Chambers Street. andamp;nbsp; Discussions have already taken place with various stakeholders, including Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, Historic Scotland, business leaders, councillors and community groups. andamp;nbsp; The proposals follow the development brief which lays down guidelines for any redevelopment and which was approved by the City of Edinburgh Council, following extensive consultation in 2003. andamp;nbsp; The South Bridge/Cowgate site, at one time the bustling Jandamp;amp;R Allan department store, was home to a host of retail outlets, offices, pubs and venues, including the Gilded Balloon comedy venue, Bridge Jazz Bar, La Belle Angele nightclub, Leisureland amusement arcade, The Living Room bar andamp;amp; club and the University of Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s School of Informatics. The buildings were destroyed by a major blaze in December 2002, which attracted worldwide attention. andamp;nbsp; Whiteburn assembled the site by buying out the former owners during 2006, through a painstakingly complex legal process, taking 18 months to complete. andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=134Planning application for Cowgate fire-hit site is unanimously praised and approved by Edinburgh City Council - andamp;nbsp; Edinburgh developer Whiteburn Projects was granted approval for the SoCo planning application this week (Wednesday 21 January 2009). The plans to construct a mixed use redevelopment on the derelict Cowgate fire-hit site in the heart of the Scottish capital were approved by the planning committee with only minor items of reserve to be agreed. andamp;nbsp; Due to be completed in 2011, the andamp;pound;40 million development will provide a much needed boost to the current construction industry, with building work set to start this year providing over 200 jobs, as well as signifying the long awaited regeneration of this area of the city. John Shepherd, chief executive of Whiteburn, said: andamp;ldquo;Our vision is to regenerate this blighted area of our beautiful city which has lain derelict since the devastation of fire in 2002. This part of the Cowgate was once a vibrant part of the Old Town, catering for the needs of many, and we are delighted that we can soon begin work redeveloping the area, making it an integral part of Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s urban offering once again. andamp;nbsp; andquot;We will continue to work hard with the planners and the council over the next few weeks to iron out the few items of reserve and ensure the site is transformed into a premier destination for people to stay, work and relax in the very near future. We are now well on the way to transforming this long-standing gap site, providing local jobs - and hopefully kick-starting the regeneration of the whole South Bridge/Cowgate area.andquot; He added: andquot;Whiteburn Projects, Allan Murray Architects and the rest of our team have worked tirelessly to meet the City of Edinburgh Council's planning brief for this site and we are pleased to have received such a positive, encouraging response from the planning committee today.andquot; andamp;nbsp; The proposals followed the development brief which laid down guidelines for any redevelopment, and which was approved by the City of Edinburgh Council following extensive consultation in 2003. The planning application was submitted in September 2008 and, subject to the granting of the necessary liquor licences and building permits from the local authority, construction will commence later this year. andamp;nbsp; Allan Murray, from Allan Murray Architects of Edinburgh, enlisted by Whiteburn to draw up designs for the project, said: andamp;ldquo;The design for this area of the Cowgate was complex and many factors had to be considered. We took on board findings from consultations and the extensive heritage report to produce a design which is a contemporary interpretation of the existing buildings on South Bridge and the Cowgate. SoCo will be a collection of buildings in sympathy with the contrasting urban grains of Chambers Street, South Bridge and the Cowgate, complemented by a network of closes and vennels. A series of courts, terraces and entrance spaces at different levels, with different uses, will bring vibrancy to the area. We are encouraged by the positive outcome from the planning committee and we look forward to seeing our proposals brought to life in the very near future.andquot; andamp;nbsp; The South Bridge/Cowgate site, at one time the bustling Jandamp;amp;R Allan department store, was once home to a host of retail outlets, offices, pubs and venues, including the Gilded Balloon comedy venue, Bridge Jazz Bar, La Belle Angele nightclub, Leisureland amusement arcade and the University of Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s School of Informatics. The buildings were destroyed by a major blaze in December 2002, which attracted worldwide attention. The approval of this planning application brings the project one step closer to restoring the area to its former glory in the not too distant future. andamp;nbsp; Ends 22 January 2009 andamp;nbsp; Notes to Editors andamp;nbsp; Whiteburn Group Ltd, incorporating development arm Whiteburn Projects Ltd, is a family-owned property development and investment company. It sparked the Edinburgh pavement cafandamp;eacute; revolution in the 1990s with Cafandamp;eacute; Rouge on Frederick St, created Scotlandandamp;rsquo;s first genuine lofts at Leith Lofts and built the best commercial office building in Scotland and the UK (The Tun andamp;ndash; winner of two BCO Awards) in 2003. andamp;nbsp; Issued by Weber Shandwick on behalf of Whiteburn. For further information contact andamp;nbsp; Paula Mc Nulty T: 0131 556 6649 or Mobile: 07770 886 924. andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=114 Whiteburn West George Partnership (a joint venture between Whiteburn Holdings Ltd and two Whiteburn directors, John Shepherd and David Kilgour) have recently acquired the multiandamp;ndash;let office building 91-93 West George St, Glasgow from Northumberland Estates, as an investment. andamp;nbsp; The building is a late-Victorian brown sandstone clad, purpose built, 7 storey, steel framed/concrete floored office building, spanning the busy West George St/West Nile Street corner. andamp;nbsp;It contains a mix of professional firms on well appointed flexible open plan space, with good natural lighting from 3 sides. andamp;nbsp; Whiteburnandamp;rsquo;s intention is to actively manage and re-brand the building, improving the entrance to the offices, and increase the value of the tenancies (and hence their investment) over the next 5 years. andamp;nbsp; Whiteburnandamp;rsquo;s primary objective is to re-let the vacant basement, ground and first floors and are currently talking to a number of potential restaurant/cafe type occupiers (subject to obtaining a change of use consent for these floors). andamp;nbsp; NB Real Estate have been appointed to manage the building on behalf of Whiteburn, with CBRE as joint letting agents for the vacant space. andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=115Scotlandandamp;rsquo;s only skier to be selected for the Olympics Andy Noble today (Tuesday, February 9th) revealed his delight at securing a sponsor to help him with his journey to Vancouver. andamp;nbsp; The Edinburgh-born sportsman, who made his first outing onto skis at the tender age of three, has realised a lifelong dream and will be competing in the hugely competitive giant slalom.andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; With the demise of Snowsport GB, the timing of the year long sponsorship deal with Edinburgh based property company Whiteburn could not have been better timed. andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; Andy has been performing well in the last few races in Austria, clinching valuable points for his qualification.andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; Andy saysandamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; andamp;ldquo;It has been quite a stressful season, but I have been skiing well in large parts. andamp;nbsp;The last few weeks have been difficult with Snowsport GB and I have been missing my spark, but I am looking forward to getting to our holding camp and getting some good training inandamp;rdquo; The yearlong partnership deal will help Noble with some of his funding requirements but also represents a fantastic opportunity to learn more about his business passion andamp;ndash; the property world! andamp;nbsp; Andy said:andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; andamp;ldquo;This partnership means so much to me, especially in the current economic climate. andamp;nbsp;It gives me financial security knowing that I will not be out of pocket at the end of the season. Whiteburn have been so helpful and gave me 2 weeks work experience and they have understood my workload and given me wonderful support and respect which has been fantastic. andamp;ldquo; andamp;nbsp; andamp;ldquo;It has been a difficult few weeks with Snowsport GB as the athletes and coaches have been left in the dark. andamp;nbsp;The menandamp;rsquo;s programme was shut down for 10 days. andamp;nbsp;It has taken me 8 years to reach my goal and this set back was very stressful, but the coaches have been great and stood by us. andamp;nbsp;It has been a difficult time but the worst is now behind us.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; andamp;ldquo;I am over the moon to be going to Vancouver with the team as this has been my lifelong goal since watching Tomba years ago. andamp;nbsp;Getting to compete in the Olympics is everything I have wanted to do in skiing and its hopefully one step closer to getting a medal!andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; Talking about the commitment Whiteburn has made to Andy, John Shepherd, company director said: andamp;ldquo;Andyandamp;rsquo;s a very bright and committed individual, who weandamp;rsquo;ve been delighted to know for the last 18 months, both as our skiing mascot and from a business perspective. Andyandamp;rsquo;s done a couple of work placements with Whiteburn and was actually with us when we secured the purchase of this building - so itandamp;rsquo;s great we can help to launch his Olympic quest from here! andamp;nbsp;Heandamp;rsquo;s obviously been through a stressful few weeks training hard but not knowing whether the Olympic team is going to have the funds to go to Vancouver, so weandamp;rsquo;re very pleased to be able to help this happen for him, and wish him every success!andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; Whiteburn have recently acquired a prominent office building in the centre of Glasgow and are using the current vacant space as a launch of the successful merging of their company with an Olympic hope. andamp;nbsp;The Whiteburn Team are all keen skiers and supported him through his last race season and are delighted to be his lead sponsors in the most important race of his life. andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=113Following several months of negotiation Whiteburn can now confirm that, with backing from the Clydesdale Bank, they have completed the purchase of 207 Cowgate, a Nightclub trading as andamp;ldquo;Faithandamp;rdquo;, from Festival Inns. The club is based in the ground and first floors of a former Church building located on the south side of the Cowgate, opposite its junction with Blair Street and Stevenlaws Close. In the short term, Whiteburn have agreed a lease to Bruce Taverns, of Whistle Binkies and Cabaret Voltaire fame, who intend to run andamp;ldquo;Sin Bar and Loungeandamp;rdquo; from the premises. Bruce Taverns Director Kevan Fullerton said that andamp;ldquo;we are very pleased to be taking over this long neglected but unique and formerly popular venue.andamp;rdquo; In the longer term, the club will be fully redeveloped in conjunction with the adjacent SoCo development to provide an improved offer in keeping with the proposed new uses within SoCo. John Shepherd commented that andamp;ldquo;working with Bruce Taverns allows this building to be revitalised and in the longer term redeveloped to a high quality venue and will raise the game above the current offers on the Cowgate.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=112Whiteburn are delighted to announce their support behind a new sporting initiative with Redandamp;nbsp;Sky Management called 'Whiteburn Athlete of the Quarter'. andamp;nbsp; A financial reward is given to an athlete who has performed outstandingly in the previousandamp;nbsp;three months and who would really benefit from support. For the first quarter, Whiteburnandamp;nbsp;have chosen to support Commonwealth Champion Robbie Renwick.andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; Robbie had a superb month picking up Scotlandandamp;rsquo;s first Gold at the Commonwealth Games.andamp;nbsp;The race the day before had been a disappointment, as he was leading for much of theandamp;nbsp;event but lost momentum. Not to be disheartened, he turned everything around, stormingandamp;nbsp;to the lead in the 200m freestyle and taking his position on top of the podium. The next day,andamp;nbsp;he anchored the 4 x 200m relay team to silver andamp;ndash; a huge performance given that he took toandamp;nbsp;the water in 5th position. Following the death of his coach in March he has managed to stayandamp;nbsp;focused and he produced the swim of his life.andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; Robbie's next main target will be the World Championships, which take place in Shanghaiandamp;nbsp;in July next year, but there will be qualifying times to hit to get there. And before thatandamp;nbsp;there are also the Scottish National Championships, which take place early January 2011 inandamp;nbsp;Glasgow. andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=145andamp;nbsp; John is currently in the midst of his epic journey. Keep up to date with his doings at: andamp;nbsp; https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/johnsmongolianadventure andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; Whiteburn director John Shepherd is about to take off on a marathon motorbike ride from Riga in Latvia to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, supported by global motorcycle tour company Kudu Expeditions. andamp;nbsp; Departing from Riga on Saturday 11 June and crossing the Russian border, the group will arrive in Moscow two days later. They will then head further east into Russia towards the Urals before heading southeast into Kazakhstan and down to the vanishing Aral Sea. Riding the rough broken roads of the Kazakh Steppe, John and the group will navigate the pristine mountain wilderness of the Altai region in Russia and finally entering Mongolia to tackle the Gobi Desert, arriving in the capital Ulaanbaatar on 3 July. andamp;nbsp; John is supporting the charity 'So Precious', which raises money for the Stirling Royal Neonatal andamp;amp; Maternity Unit.andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; http://www.everyclick.com/johnsmongolianadventureandamp;nbsp;andamp;nbsp; http://www.so-precious.co.uk/ andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp;http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=148 Whiteburn Projects has announced the next phase of its SoCo development at the historic former South Bridge/Cowgate fire site in Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s Unesco World Heritage Old Town. andamp;nbsp; In an announcement that is a vote of confidence in Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s tourism industry, Whiteburn have struck a deal with the William Pears backed Jansons Property company, which will now see the site developed out to incorporate a 200+ bedroom limited service hotel, with associated shops, restaurants, bars - and the reinstatement of the former La Belle Angele nightclub.andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; The development will create over 200 jobs on a site that has been empty for nearly a decade. andamp;nbsp; Andy Jansons, CEO of Jansons Property said andamp;ldquo;Weandamp;rsquo;re delighted to be taking SoCo forward with Whiteburn, after looking long and hard at a number of sites in Edinburgh over the past year. Weandamp;rsquo;re well funded, very experienced and remain on the hunt for more similar opportunities in Edinburgh.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; Whiteburn acquired the site in 2006 from the eight former owners after the previous buildings straddling South Bridge and the Cowgate were devastated by a fire in 2002. Whiteburnandamp;rsquo;s team worked painstakingly with the City of Edinburgh Council, heritage and amenity groups to secure a hotel led mixed use planning consent in 2009.andamp;nbsp; andamp;nbsp; Whiteburnandamp;rsquo;s John Shepherd added andamp;ldquo;The SoCo project has become a labour of love for Whiteburn, and we were obviously disappointed that our previous development plans faltered when the economy hit the buffers. But weandamp;rsquo;re now delighted to be working with Jansons and look forward to helping them to deliver a successful vibrant mixed use result for the city.andamp;rdquo; andamp;nbsp; andamp;ldquo;This has been a gap on the South Bridge for too long and we are keen to bring new life to the area with new shops and a hotel, as well as the restoration of La Belle Angele. andamp;nbsp; Recent research has shown that Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s economy is well placed to move forward after the recession, and we feel that this investment can been seen as a vote of confidence in Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s tourism industry and as a location for inward investmentandamp;rdquo; he added. andamp;nbsp; Also commenting on the application, Councillor Tom Buchanan, Convener of Economic Development for the City of Edinburgh said, andquot;I am delighted to hear that Jansons have taken on the SoCo site and plan to put it back into a use that will create great many jobs for Edinburgh residents. This site offers huge potential for development in a prime location in the heart of our city centre. This investment, along with other recent reports shows that our world class Tourism industry is helping Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s economy back into growth. I am confident that we will see further signs of Edinburghandamp;rsquo;s recovery in the coming weeks and months.andquot; http://www.whiteburn.co.uk/index.php?cID=159