£30m mall expansion plan is 'vote of confidence' in city

THE developers behind a £30 million proposed expansion of one of the city's largest shopping centres said the project was a "huge vote of confidence" in the city as they today unveiled the first images of how the redeveloped retail park would look.

Fort Kinnaird is set to undergo a major overhaul which will significantly increase the amount of shopping space and the new images have been released ahead of a public exhibition set to take place at the centre next week.

The retail park owners are yet to name any new stores which might move in, but the development is expected to create hundreds of new jobs and could start next year if planning permission is granted.

Dan Clark, of British Land, the asset managers of Fort Kinnaird on behalf of the Gibraltar Partnership, said: "These investment proposals represent a huge vote of confidence in Edinburgh.

"The 30m potential development will allow a currently vacant area of Fort Kinnaird to be redeveloped, creating hundreds of new job opportunities for people in the south-east of the city. I would encourage as many people as possible to come along on January 11."

Details of the project, which could see the park's former cinema site redeveloped and upmarket restaurants brought in, were lodged with the city council last year. Part of the expanded space will be used to provide a children's play area, and new mezzanine areas for existing stores.

The developers have also pledged to improve the pedestrian link between the two parts of Fort Kinnaird - Fort Kinnaird and The Fort.

Fort Kinnaird currently provides employment for around 1300 people, which increases to around 1800 in the run-up to Christmas. The new facilities would see the level of staff increased by more than a third.

The proposals include utilising land that was left unused when the Odeon cinema complex, Frankie and Benny's and Chiqito restaurants were demolished along with a ten-pin bowling alley in 2007.

James Cooksey from the Crown Estate, partners in the joint venture, said: "These proposals will reinforce the attractiveness of Edinburgh's premier shopping park." The exhibition takes place on Tuesday from 10am to 7pm in a temporary building in the centre of the park.

An earlier attempt to hold the display was cancelled because of heavy snowfall.