A consortium has submitted plans for a £700m commercial and residential scheme across 90 acres next to Edinburgh Airport.
The International Business Gateway has been proposed by developers Murray Estates and New Islington, a joint venture set up by Frogmore and Salmon Harvester.
The first phase would deliver 2.25m sq ft of built space, of which 1.3m sq ft would be commercial, with offices, shops, hotels and leisure facilities.
If approved, the scheme would attract £700m of onshore and international investment over a 30-year construction period, according to the consortium.
Jestyn Davies, director of Murray Estates, said the business-led development would help to fill the gap from “diminishing levels” of grade A office space in the city centre.
A rail/tram interchange station is currently under construction less than one mile east of the site and an extension of the tramway to Newbridge is also planned.
Martin Dalziel, director of New Islington, said: “It is extremely unusual, with a proposal of this type and of this scale, for high-end transport infrastructure to be already in place and fully operational before the first turf is cut.
“The seamless link the trams provide to Edinburgh Park the central business district and both main railway stations will in itself help generate investor and occupier interest.”
The “self-sustaining community” would also include a housing scheme comprising 80% flats and 20% houses.
Councillor Frank Ross, convenor of the economy committee on the city of Edinburgh council, said: “The International Business Gateway is one of the most strategically important development propositions in Edinburgh and Scotland. The location’s connectivity is unmatched, with Edinburgh’s tram line linking it directly to the city centre and to Edinburgh Airport. Edinburgh Park business park and the global headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland are just minutes away.”
