A new multi million pound housing development that kick started a stalled construction site has officially opened in the Capital.
The St Nicholas development located in Gorgie on the site of a former special school was officially opened by Dunedin Canmore Housing and Councillor Andrew Burns at a special ceremony in Edinburgh this month.
The property development situated off Gorgie Road has one hundred and nine modern apartments, including one, two and three bedroom properties for social rent, mid-market rent and shared ownership – an affordable route to home ownership for those who are unable to buy outright.
At the official opening of the new mixed tenure development in Gorgie, Councillor Burns said Dunedin Canmore was now a strategic partner of Edinburgh City Council in delivering affordable housing.
Dunedin Canmore Housing is the main developer in the City and has a significant number of properties. Chief Executive Ewan Fraser said developments that mixed social housing for rent with the chance to buy through shared ownership offered the best chance to address housing need in Edinburgh.
The City of Edinburgh Council provided £7.54m of Housing Association Grant to fund the development, designed by Susan Stephens Architects.
Dunedin Canmore recently opened a £24.5 million development in Gorgie. Westfield is Dunedin Canmore’s largest affordable housing development providing 193 new homes and 8 business units on the former industrial site – and is also the largest affordable housing development by a Registered Social Landlord to be supported by the City of Edinburgh Council.
The council recently offered Dunedin Canmore £10m as a loan to build mid rent housing on another three sites in the City.
Ewan Fraser, Chief Executive of Dunedin Canmore, said: “The positive working relationship we have with Edinburgh City Council allows us to work closely on an agreed agenda. We are proud to work with the Council, Susan Stephen Architects and J Smarts and Co to complete this modern development in an area with a high demand for affordable housing. We felt it was important to keep the name of the development to reflect that the development was very much at the heart of the local community.”
To meet housing need in Edinburgh 1660 homes need to be built every year. The site meets 6% of that annual need and Gorgie/Dalry is an area of high level of demand for affordable housing.
Councillor Andrew Burns, from the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This project is a great example of the Council working together with housing associations to build much-needed affordable homes in the city. It will make a massive contribution to meeting the need for affordable housing in the city.”