Detailed plans have revealed how a vast nine-storey development in Edinburgh’s Fountainbridge will combine a hotel, student accommodation, rooftop bar and restaurants with a new public space.
The £200 million Social Hub development is proposed for the former Fountain Brewery site, which has remained vacant for around 20 years.
The ambitious project would transform part of the former industrial site into a new destination for visitors, students and local residents, with up to 580 bedrooms and a co-working facility accommodating 300 people.
New details contained in the planning application show how the building would be arranged around Leamington Square, with a café and neighbourhood restaurant occupying prominent corners of the development.
Both venues would have the potential for outdoor seating, creating a new food and drink destination in the Fountainbridge area.
The building’s main entrance would face Leamington Square, positioned between the café on the south-east corner and restaurant on the south-west corner.
A second entrance would provide access to the co-working facilities, while a gym and meeting and events spaces would occupy other parts of the building.
The development would also feature a rooftop bar, clubhouse, theatre and communal kitchen, with facilities intended for hotel guests, students and the wider community.
The accommodation would comprise between 574 and 580 bedrooms, with the balance between hotel and student use changing according to seasonal demand.
The proposals also include a substantial amount of bicycle parking, with 82 spaces inside the building and another 48 outside.
The Social Hub, which already operates a venue in Glasgow’s Merchant City, describes its Edinburgh development as a new model combining hospitality, accommodation and flexible working.
The company was founded by Edinburgh-born entrepreneur Charlie MacGregor, who has expanded the business across Europe.
MacGregor said: “Submitting these plans is a landmark moment – not just for The Social Hub, but for me personally.”
He added: “We’ve listened closely to the Fountainbridge community, understood what the area needs, and shaped a scheme designed to make a lasting, positive impact.”
The development is expected to create up to 100 jobs, while the company estimates that it could deliver a £15.5 million boost to Edinburgh’s economy once operational.
The building is also expected to achieve a BREEAM Excellent sustainability rating.
The proposed Social Hub forms part of the wider regeneration of Fountainbridge, where the former brewery site is being transformed following decades of industrial decline.
The wider masterplan, approved by the City of Edinburgh Council in 2016, includes 464 new homes, of which 186 would be affordable.
It also provides for new shops, office space, improved public areas and a new canal-side square.
The council has previously indicated that the affordable homes could be completed in 2029.
That timetable relates to the wider redevelopment rather than an opening date for The Social Hub.