Ahead of its closure in May, The St James Shopping centre, Edinburgh, has invited local people to celebrate the role the shopping centre has played in the community over the years. A three-day event will be held between Thursday 28 April and Saturday 30 April, giving people a chance to share their memories and stories and to learn more about the upcoming redevelopment of the site.
Before closing for redevelopment, the St James Shopping centre wants to take the opportunity to thank shoppers for their custom and loyalty over the last four decades. At the event later this month, people will also be asked to reveal their own stories about the shopping centre and New St Andrew’s House, giving them the chance to help preserve memories of the area.
Edinburgh St James will see the current shopping centre undergo an exciting phoenix-like transformation as it is replaced with new shops and restaurants, a multi-screen cinema, new homes, public squares and a world class hotel. The new development is due to open to the public in 2020 and John Lewis, which will be part of the completed scheme, will remain open as usual throughout construction, as will shops on Multrees Walk.
With pre-construction works already well underway, the event will demonstrate to people how Edinburgh St James will revitalise the east end of the city centre. At the same time, the event will mark a milestone moment for the site and celebrate its colourful and varied history.
Rochelle Burgess, Centre Director for the St James Shopping, said:
“Edinburgh St James will rejuvenate the east end of the city centre, giving the area a new lease of life, creating thousands of new jobs and attracting brand new shops and restaurants. We want ensure local people understand how the site will be regenerated and what will be delivered when the development is complete.
“We are looking forward to seeing the site evolve as the development progresses, however we also want to remember the history of the area and acknowledge all of our shoppers who have been visiting us for over 40 years. We would like to encourage local people to come along to our event, find out about the future of the site and tell us their stories as we move into this new phase of development.”
