Former Odeon building up for grabs

A former Odeon cinema building in Edinburgh is to be put onto the market for a three-month period at the end of this summer.

Developer Duddingston House Properties, (DHP) which owns the building, has been prevented from demolishing it to build a hotel by its current 'listed' status, so has decided to give another developer the chance to find an alternative use for it.

While they have full planning permission from the local council and heritage body, the Cockburn Foundation, their plan to demolish a 1930s auditorium at the back of the building to make way for the hotel, led to the refusal of Historic Scotland to delist the building. Another development may still be allowed if this element was removed from the plans.

DHP chief executive Bruce Hare said that despite having put forward various ideas that would retain the auditorium, he had not received a legal offer to buy the site, which was independently valued at £2.9 million in December. He continued, "Nevertheless, we have decided to market it high and wide for a three-month period to open up the opportunity to as many parties as possible."

If a buyer is still not found, DHP will reapply for a delisting consent.