A student accommodation developer is in “advanced discussions” to purchase the former Scottish Widows headquarters on Dalkeith Road.
The offices, which have been vacant since late 2020, will reportedly be bought by Vita Student, which owns several purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) blocks in Edinburgh.
A Vita Group spokesperson today (TUE) said: “Vita Group is in advanced discussions regarding the potential acquisition of 15 Dalkeith Road.
“If successful, Vita Group intends to deliver a mixed-use redevelopment broadly aligned with the site’s existing planning consent.”
Real estate agent JLL, which is overseeing the sale of the former offices on Dalkeith Road, declined to officially comment.
However, Jason Hogg, who heads the Edinburgh branch of the company, said “discussions were happening with the client”.
Hogg declined to state the identity of the client.
The offices were vacated in late 2020.
The PBSA giant currently runs two separate student accommodation blocks in Edinburgh, with one in Fountainbridge and another on Iona Street.
A new build in Sibbald Walk, dubbed “New Waverley”, will open its doors in September 2026.
If Vita Student does indeed purchase the former offices, it will likely need council approval for a change of use to the property.
City councillors had approved plans in 2023 to demolish the building to make way for 174 flats and premium office space.
However, developers Schroders Capital Real Estate subsequently pulled the plug on the scheme, and the site was put back on the market.
There has been significant controversy over the growing number of student accommodation blocks in Edinburgh.
Last month, a proposal of application notice was submitted for a new £200m development in Fountainbridge, which would include a PBSA as well as residential flats.
The company responsible for the proposal, The Social Hub, runs a similar development in Glasgow.
It would become the fifth PBSA in Fountainbridge, which already includes Vita Student, Unite Students, and two Edinburgh Napier University student blocks.
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