A chunk of central Edinburgh that has sat empty for two decades could soon get a new lease of life. The Social Hub — the Dutch-based hospitality group founded by Edinburgh-born Charlie MacGregor — has submitted plans for a £200 million mixed-use development on the former Fountain Brewery site in Fountainbridge.

The scheme is a big one: 580 beds spanning student rooms, hotel accommodation and extended stays, plus fixed co-working space for up to 300 people with flexible space for thousands more. Wrapped around all that is the social side the brand is known for — a restaurant, café, rooftop bar, clubhouse, theatre and a gym. The site would also form part of a wider regeneration of the area, unlocking affordable housing being progressed by the council and a new canal-side public square.

Why does this matter beyond the planning headlines? The hybrid model is exactly what it sounds like: one building serving students, travellers, remote workers and locals at the same time. The group points to research by RealWorth suggesting its hubs generate at least five times the economic and social value of a standard hotel — over eight times in Rome — by mixing communities rather than separating them. The Edinburgh plans have backing from the University of Edinburgh, the Chamber of Commerce and CodeBase, and the building is targeting BREEAM Excellent for sustainability.

For visitors, the practical upshot is a new style of place to stay and work in a city where hotel rooms are scarce and pricey, especially during festival season. If approved and built, the hub would add hundreds of rooms near the Union Canal, a short walk from the city centre, with facilities — co-working, gym, rooftop bar — that most mid-range hotels can't match. Locals get something too: the development is expected to create up to 100 direct jobs and add £15.5 million to the city's economy, and the group ran public consultations last year, with resident feedback shaping the final submission. Founders don't often have a personal stake like this one — MacGregor grew up in Edinburgh and has described bringing the brand home as a long-held ambition, after its Glasgow hub helped energise Merchant City.

There's no opening date yet — this is a planning submission, not a finished building — so treat it as one to watch rather than one to book. But for anyone who likes their accommodation with a bit of community baked in, Fountainbridge may soon be worth adding to the Edinburgh shortlist. Credit: Hotel Designs.