Princes Street will rise again from the ashes of Debenhams - Donald Anderson
For everyone who cares about Edinburgh, the images from the Princes Street fire were heartbreaking. One of Scotland’s most iconic streets has suffered another major blow.
There is no disguising the seriousness of what has happened. Businesses have been disrupted, an important building has been devastated and questions will inevitably be asked about how such a devastating fire could occur.
Yet Edinburgh has been here before. When the Cowgate fire ripped through the Old Town in 2002, it left what I described at the time as a “gaping wound” in the heart of the city.
The destruction was immense and there were genuine fears that the area could take decades to recover. But recover it did, as I explain in the second part of today’s column.
That experience should give us confidence today. The fire is unquestionably a major setback; however, it should not distract from the wider transformation taking place across Edinburgh’s city centre.
The redevelopment of the iconic Jenners building is one of the most significant regeneration projects anywhere in the country, and all the street’s former department stores have planning consent and are being actively redeveloped.
Bringing Jenners back into active use will help redefine Princes Street and restore one of the city’s best-loved buildings to its rightful place.
At the same time, there is an increasingly important conversation taking place about the future of Princes Street itself. Improving the public realm, creating a more attractive environment for pedestrians and strengthening the connection between Princes Street and its gardens all have the potential to transform how people experience our city centre.
That debate will take time. As I’ve said before, getting people to agree that ‘something needs done’ on Princes Street is easy. Getting them to agree what should be done is a more complex task. There’s no need to rush that debate as Princes Street will continue to be a building site for some years yet.
What will matter now is careful planning. With extensive works already planned for George Street, the city must ensure that future improvements on Princes Street and George Street are properly coordinated. Businesses need customers, not years of overlapping disruption.
Sequencing these projects sensibly will be critical for successful regeneration.
It is also easy to forget just how far Edinburgh has already come. The opening of St James Quarter and the attraction years before of Harvey Nichols has fundamentally changed the city as a shopping destination.
Recent figures have shown Edinburgh leading the UK in the recovery of retail footfall.
Despite the challenges facing high streets everywhere, the Capital continues to attract shoppers, tourists and investors in impressive numbers.
None of that diminishes the significance of last week’s fire. It is a devastating blow for one of Edinburgh’s most important streets.
But cities should never be judged solely by the setbacks they endure. They should be judged by how they respond. The images of the fire will stay with us for some time. Yet the bigger picture remains one of investment, ambition and renewal.
Princes Street has overcome immense challenges before and it will do again. In time, the wounds will be healed, investment will continue and Scotland’s most famous street will once again take its place at the heart of one of Europe’s great city centres.