"Global forces sweeping aside local planning concerns"
"Mismanagement of #EdStJames"
"David Black examines £61.4m public subsidy of TIAA development"
http://sceptical.scot/2019/12/tiaa-a-global-american-invades-scotland/
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
St James Redevelopment
(596 posts)-
Posted 4 years ago #
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‘Must read’ too -
http://sceptical.scot/2019/08/the-tangled-history-of-edinburgh-st-james/
Posted 4 years ago # -
£61.4 million to replace one carbuncle with another.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Writing in The Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh*, Gifford, McWilliam and Walker were also highly critical of the development, saying that "the image of system-built bureaucracy conveyed…is suitably frightening." From Calton Hill their opinion was of a "huge intrusive bulk" and from Leith Walk, a "callously blank backside".
The evaluation report preceding Edinburgh's inscription as a World Heritage Site spoke† in similar terms, that the complex was responsible for "marring permanently the coherence of the east end of the Georgian town". City of Edinburgh Council¥ was similarly critical, noting that "the scale and massing of the buildings is considerable, with 'cliff face' elevations and unsympathetic fenestration design … It has an imposing impact … [and it] fails to take cognisance of its impact on the setting of important townscape features…"
From "A grey day".
* in 1984
† in 1995
¥ in 2008Posted 4 years ago # -
Oh, irony. I would find it hard to believe that the golden t#$d had any "accord with the aspirations" of the Edinburgh citizenry.
Posted 4 years ago # -
"We welcome the initiative to substantially reduce the size of the concert hall" I'm sure Nuveen will be reducing the size of their hotel then given it's taller.
Posted 4 years ago # -
“
AS an army of construction workers prepares Edinburgh’s gleaming St James Quarter retail complex to welcome shoppers next week some residents may fear it could become a white elephant or just a playground for the rich.
“
Posted 3 years ago # -
New St James centre bikes racks. Hmm.
I might park my bike in one of the car park spaces instead with just wheel lock on.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Where did you find those? There is nothing at the main Leith Street entrance.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I got that picture off Twitter but I think they're on Little King Street between the cathedral and John Lewis.
Posted 3 years ago # -
The red bit is not some kind of handle as I thought but actually the bit to D-lock the frame to when on the bottom level. No possibility of locking wheel and frame. No possibility of locking frame on the top level with a D-lock.
There are however several Sheffield stands nearby. Sheffield stands on the Multrees Walk side as well.
I found the shopping centre a bit underwhelming. Just an updated version of what was there before.
Posted 3 years ago # -
"I found the shopping centre a bit underwhelming. Just an updated version of what was there before."
That's capitalism for you. Knock down the old, replace with the new, which is almost the same, but bigger and possibly uglier, just in a different way. Pointless really, only there to increase shareholder value.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I love how they are bigging-up all the new high-end stores that *might* come there. LOL
e.g. Hamleys, Crew clothing, and, ah-hem, German donner kebabs!
Posted 3 years ago # -
I don't expect I'll have any need to go there ever unless it still has a post office which is open over the weekend. Is the James Craig Walk cut-through functional again yet?
Posted 3 years ago # -
Yes, cut-through is open. You can even use the "CCWEL" to reach it!
Posted 3 years ago # -
Re the cut-through, as I cycled through today I was stopped by a security guard and asked to dismount when passing through "the square". I politely declined on account of there being no signs saying that. In fact, if you enter from the Leith St side you'll pass TWO shared path signs.
There is some building work going on that narrows the route so I'm unsure if this cycling ban is only temporary.
Lo and behold, no injury or alarm was caused by my actions!
Posted 3 years ago # -
@mga, if you went where I think you did there is a sign politely asking cyclists to give way to pedestrians. If they expected cyclists to be dismounting then there would be no need for this sign as we would all be pedestrians.
Posted 3 years ago # -
This is the St James Centre's policy on bikes;
"There are over 150 outside bicycle racks (some covered) located around St James Quarter for the convenience of our cycling guests. If a guest chooses to cross St James Quarter with a bicycle or other vehicle, they must get dismount and push or carry their device through the development."
James Craig Walk seems to have been deemed a shared use path judging by the signs so it's a bit odd.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Interesting that the below Spokes document covers the James Craig Walk development.
http://www.spokes.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/1701-St-James-letter-after-mtg-developers.pdf
It says;
"3. James Craig Walk. This is described in the approved planning application [Transport document,
section 3.1] as "a key pedestrian and cycle route"The transport document says;
"The route between Leith Street and York Place will
support full pedestrian and cycle access."Not sure it's turned out like this as the developers don't seem to want people cycling through the area beside the turd hotel.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Presumably it's because it's fairly narrow at the moment with the hoarding in front of the tenement. Hopefully hassle free once that's finished.
Posted 3 years ago # -
The bit in front of the tenements seems to be planned at a lower level so not sure that will widen the route.
But yes, might just be temporary. I've only been through once so don't recall all the detail with everything being so unfamiliar!
Posted 3 years ago # -
@acdimpson: ...there is a sign politely asking cyclists to give way to pedestrians. If they expected cyclists to be dismounting then there would be no need for this sign as we would all be pedestrians.
Security guard makes up own rules as he goes along shock horror probe?
Posted 3 years ago # -
Somebody will be suing -
Posted 3 years ago # -
“
"St James Quarter has been built to fully integrate with the city's streetscape and is not an enclosed building.
"Whilst St James Quarter has been designed as a naturally-ventilated environment and allows some rain to come into the galleria, the extent of water ingress in two sections was mainly caused by severe rainfall testing areas within the second phase of opening which are still under construction."
“
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-57718384
Posted 3 years ago # -
@chdot - saw that earlier and it made me smile. My house also integrates into the streetscape, is naturally ventilated and despite being over 130 years old still manages to keep the rain on the outside.
Still, who hasn't been involved in some sort of project and ended up saying "Yes, we meant that to happen!"
Posted 3 years ago # -
Working as designed!
Posted 3 years ago #
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