Scotland’s female property professionals see progress of £350m Haymarket development

A group of 20 female property professionals from across Scotland recently received a sneak peak at the progress of Haymarket Edinburgh, the £350 million commercial and leisure development currently under construction.

The exclusive tour was organised by Edinburgh property developer Qmile Group and contractor Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM) for members of Women in Property (WiP).

The group, which included architects, surveyors and engineers, was treated to a presentation by Qmile Group chief executive Paul Curran, followed by a tour of the site.

Haymarket Edinburgh is being delivered by Qmile Group, property fund M&G Real Estate, architect Foster + Partners and contractor Sir Robert McAlpine.

All four organisations previously worked together to create the award-winning £750 million Quartermile mixed-use development. Once complete, Haymarket Edinburgh will deliver more than 380,000 sq ft of Grade A office space along with 365 hotel bedrooms and retail space.

Artist’s impression of how Haymarket Edinburgh will look

Laura Banks, chair of the central Scotland branch of Women in Property, said, “We cannot thank Qmile Group and SRM enough for hosting our members. It was great to get back on site, not only to see and understand more about this inspiring project but to meet industry friends and colleagues for the first time since we all went into lockdown over 15 months ago.

“Haymarket Edinburgh is an extremely impressive development. The site is full of construction activity, and it was hugely exciting for our members to hear more about what to expect when works are complete. We were particularly interested to learn more about the site’s sustainability measures along with plans for improvements to the surrounding area and arrival from Haymarket train station. It was a very enjoyable event for all who attended.”

The completed site will comprise three offices and two hotels. It is estimated the office space alone will accommodate up to 4,500 workers. At the heart of the project will be Haymarket Square, a landscaped public space designed to offer leisure and retail opportunities as well as a social and events space.

The development is expected to be complete in 2023.

Paul Curran added, “It was a real pleasure to welcome Women in Property to Haymarket Edinburgh and to show off all the outstanding work that is taking place to deliver this landmark development for the capital. We are very pleased with how works are progressing, particularly taking into consideration the necessary restrictions and safe working practices that were put in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We have successfully completed the superstructure of the first building, Building 1, and work continues on schedule to deliver Buildings 4 and 5.”