Edinburgh event will celebrate Waterfront milestone with opening of Granton Station Square

New public space at heart of Edinburgh’s Waterfront regeneration

The opening of Granton Station Square on Saturday will mark the first major milestone of Edinburgh council’s £1.3 billion regeneration project at Granton Waterfront.

And locals attending the event will also be given a sneak peek of the magnificently refurbished Edwardian Granton Station with guided tours of the building, which is about to be fitted out as affordable workspace for artists and the creative industries. The newly created public square in front of the station will host events and local community activity throughout the year.

The site had lain vacant for years before it was bought by the council in 2018. The £4.75m restoration of the building, together with the development of the square, were partly funded through the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and Town Centre Fund. The name for the square was chosen following an online consultation with local residents.

Locals are invited to the opening of the square and a guided tour of the refurbished station building. Image: ADP Architecture.

The station building, which is due to have its official opening later this year, will be managed by social enterprise charity Wasps Studios, who work across Edinburgh and Scotland. The new space is expected to support around 40 jobs, as well as helping around 100 people each year with creative business development opportunities. The charity will also deliver a heritage programme for local people and railway enthusiasts on the unique history of the location as well as providing exhibition space to showcase local talent and hosting workshops and events for locals, with the potential to attract thousands of visitors to the area.

At the event on Saturday, council leader Cammy Day will cut a ribbon to open the new public space and there wlll be family fun from 11am to 2pm, with visitors invited to meet some local crafters, makers and organisations at the market stalls and join in with play and arts activities on the lawn. There will also be performances from Edinburgh College students and the Newhaven Community Choir.

Local S3 pupils from Craigroyston Community High School have created artwork symbolising the area with local artist Shona Hardie, which will be displayed on lampposts along Waterfront Broadway. And a history exhibition will be displayed on the square’s two new art benches, which will provide free exhibition space year-round. Granton Waterfront will partner with cultural organisations to curate a changing programme of work inspired by and/or created by local artists and residents on the benches. The project was launched in March 2023 with a themed exhibition Past, Present, Future to showcase historic and current-day images of key heritage assets within the area.

Councillor Day said: “We’ve taken local people with us through every step of this process to reach this first major milestone. Seeing the refurbished Granton Station and iconic clock as well as the new square in all its glory feels very significant for the project and is another reason to come along and help us celebrate at this fantastic event.

Artwork produced by S3 pupils at Craigroyston Community High School with local artist Shona Hardie will be displayed from this weekend on Waterfront Broadway.

“They sit at the heart of our £1.3bn regeneration of the wider area and will be a focal point for the community and visitors to enjoy for generations to come. We’re creating homes, jobs and new communities at Granton Waterfront and you can already see construction well underway for the first of the 3,500 net zero carbon homes. We’re building over 70 new mid-market and social rent net zero homes, with the first new residents due to move in at the end of this year.

"And on the far side of Forthquarter Park the Western Villages site is making good progress to deliver 444 net zero homes. Also included in the plans are a new primary school, health centre, active travel routes and improved transport links, as well as workspace, community and cultural spaces. We’ll also be marking the start of works on the neighbouring iconic Granton Gasholder shortly. It will create a multifunctional public space that can be used and enjoyed by residents and visitors alike so look out for work starting there soon.”

Scottish Government Regeneration Minister Tom Arthur said completion of the project represented a significant step forward in the regeneration of Granton Waterfront. “Through funding from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, this new work space for artists demonstrates the powerful role our communities can have in helping transform their town centres and neighbourhoods by investing in their future.”

And Audrey Carlin, chief executive of Wasps, said: “We are very excited to be showcasing the building, which we plan to operate under the name Granton Station Creative Works, to visitors for the first time on Saturday. The transformation of such an important building with its strong connection to the industrial heritage of Granton has been wonderful to be part of, and a huge credit must go to the city council and their contractors for turning our collective vision for a sustainable future for this important historic building into reality.”