St James Quarter, Edinburgh, is proud to announce its success at the Revo Awards, where it claimed the award for “Best Long-Term Regeneration Initiative”. This prestigious recognition highlights the huge impact St James Quarter has had on Edinburgh, marking the city’s largest transformation in a generation and one of the most significant city centre redevelopments in Europe.
Comprising 850,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space, St James Quarter brought a host of exciting new brands to Scotland, including Coach, Space NK, Polo Ralph Lauren, New Balance and Europcar’s first “in-mall store” which has been hugely successful with tourists. The development also features the UK’s second W Hotels, a 75-bed Roomzzz Aparthotel, 152 residential apartments, and a boutique Everyman Cinema. It is home to a 305,000 sq ft John Lewis store, Edinburgh’s first food market, “Bonnie & Wild,” and nine new public community and event spaces.
Delivered by Nuveen Real Estate and APG, and in partnership with the Scottish Government and Edinburgh City Council, St James Quarter integrates seamlessly with Edinburgh’s transport network, cultural calendar, and historic fabric. Spanning 1.7 million sq ft within a World Heritage site, the development enhances the city’s unique charm while fostering long-term growth and resilience. It serves as a catalyst for regeneration and a model for future urban developments and how they should look, operate, and interact with their cities
The Revo Awards celebrate excellence in the built environment, recognising and honouring those who are adapting and leading the way forward. Bringing together professionals from across the retail, leisure, property, and placemaking industries, the awards highlight outstanding people, places, and spaces shaping the future of cities.
The judges commended St James Quarter for its outstanding successes and its impact in driving long-term growth for Edinburgh. These include a retail and hospitality skills academy (FUSE), the creation of 2,000 new jobs, world-class dining and leisure by successfully bringing iconic brands such as Sushisamba and Duck & Waffle to a regional UK city, and the inclusion of management agreement collaborations with Marriott (W Hotels) and other brand partners to redefine the traditional UK retail/mixed-use model.
The performance of St James Quarter has exceeded expectations. Over 43 million people have visited St James Quarter since its launch, with footfall reaching 18.9 million in 2023 and is anticipated to exceed 20 million visitors by the end of this year. The Shoppertrak Retail Review 2023 reported a 9.2 per cent increase in footfall in Edinburgh, one of the only cities to see a positive change in traffic in 2023.
Ed Webb, Director of Development Management at Nuveen: “St James Quarter was always intended to be more than just a development; it’s a catalyst for regeneration and a testament to what can be achieved when innovation, sustainability, and community come together. This award affirms the measurable success of that vision. As a city with transformation and growth at its core, we are delighted to offer a truly revolutionary experience. St James Quarter has firmly established Edinburgh as a globally leading retail destination.”