City’s heart beats much more strongly thanks to Martin and his team

The dinner in the City Chambers organised by Council Leader Cammy Day and Lord Provost Robert Aldridge to celebrate the work of Martin Perry

I recently had the pleasure of attending a dinner in the City Chambers organised by council leader Cammy Day and Lord Provost Robert Aldridge. It was to celebrate the work of Martin Perry, someone who very few people in Edinburgh will have heard of, but who has had a profound impact on the city.

Martin Perry led the development of Edinburgh St James Quarter, which has taken nearly 30 years to deliver.

In the 1990s there were plans to redevelop the centre with a new Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters as part of the proposals. For lots of complicated reasons, that didn’t happen.

In 2006 the then TH Real Estate (now Nuveen) bought St James from then owners the Coal Pension Property Fund. What followed was a massive logistical and financial exercise to deliver one of the biggest and most consequential investments ever seen in Scotland.

Over £1 billion has been invested in creating what is one of the best and most modern leisure developments in Europe. Edinburgh St James is on course to attract over 22 million visits this year and has been a massive boost to the city centre, helping Edinburgh bounce back from the Covid crisis better than any other UK city.

Martin Perry led the redevelopment brilliantly with skill, and with endless willpower and energy. You may never have heard of him, but Edinburgh’s heart beats much more strongly thanks to Martin, his team and a job extremely well done. Thank you.

City’s heart beats much more strongly thanks to Martin and his team - Donald Anderson