With the residential development just beginning to take shape across the road Centre manager, Dennis Jones, says this is the best time for Ocean Terminal. Under new ownership since 2011 when it was bought by Resolution Property from Forth Ports, the new management company KLM is about to rename the shopping and leisure development and change tack just a little.
Some of the things which are about to happen were in the minds of the original owners right from the start, but it has taken this long to make them gel. And it will cost Resolution around £1 million to make the changes they feel are now just right. One thing they are about to do is change the name to Porta.
Jones said : “The main thing is the rebrand with a sharper name. Porta works better – port is Italian for gateway and we are in the Port of Leith. A key part of the mall will now be the outlet shopping offer.
“The hardest business at the moment is the retail. People always need to eat, so companies like Starbucks, Nando’s and Wagamama do well here. VUE Cinemas invested over £1 million in new recliner seats throughout the cinema here and the prices are now £5.99 for every film with an enhanced experience. Our free underground car park works well for Ocean Terminal and all those businesses do well. It is a little harder for retailers.”
So what is planned is a new slant and the retail units will be outlet shops offering quality goods at discount prices with offers that are not just a repeat of what is online.
None of the names of the new tenants are yet available but we are promised some big names among them. The new letting agent specialise in premium outlet shopping centres across Europe and have all the contacts already. Some new tenants are expected to move in by spring 2020, but other retailers like Gap will convert into an outlet store.
Subjit Jassy of Resolution Property said when the new look was announced : “We are extremely positive about the future of Ocean Terminal, and with this investment we are demonstrating our commitment to the centre, to Leith and to Edinburgh. Retail’s woes have been widely reported, but it is clear to us that the mix of shopping, leisure, eating and drinking that we have at Ocean Terminal is the way forward.”
Jones showed me a plan of the area drawn up about 18 years ago which included housing and retail and The Scottish Office building just a hop across the road, but not a distillery which is the surprising and latest addition to the mix.
Dennis explained : “It is a rare thing for someone to be in a position to start up an £11 million distillery and it is entirely down to the drive and talent of the business partners, Ian and Patrick. Not many people would be able to create this multi-storey distillery. It is most exciting, and was never contemplated 18 years ago.”
The distillery plans a tasting room and function area on the ninth floor of their vertical building. This will look out to the Forth and must have one of the best sea views in town, no doubt quickly becoming an iconic sight on the shoreline. Ian Stirling is CEO of Port of Leith Distillery and he told us that this has taken around three years to finalise. They are pleased with the success of their gin, (which just won an award for its innovative packaging) but whisky is the main focus. He said : We are expecting to start building any time now, and we are delighted to be at this stage.” The construction will involve the careful removal of a shed which was used by Henry Robb Shipyard. The shed will then be used in a different location, but this site on the point behind Ocean Terminal will be an all new multi-storey building. The piling alone will be 40 metres deep, so once it is built this distillery should be a main attraction on the shoreline for some time to come.
There will be some improvement to the connectivity between the distillery who expect to attract around 200,000 visitors each year, Britannia who get almost 400,000 visitors and the millions who visit Ocean Terminal.
The Royal Yacht Britannia is a big part of what makes Ocean Terminal different. It now has its own tearoom at the rear as well as the Royal Racing Yacht Bloodhound moored there too. Anyone who visits Edinburgh probably already knows about the Queen’s favourite boat and it is clearly a useful collaboration that the entrance to the yacht is by way of the shopping centre.
Forth Ports also has planning for 1500 more homes here and who knows if the water taxis will follow joining up Newhaven to Leith? It was certainly in the blueprint, but of course it might take a while to become reality too.
The tram will be a welcome public transport addition, but what Jones finds most interesting and fulfilling is the fact that the spaces next to Ocean Terminal which have been empty for so long will at last be occupied by new buildings and developments finishing off the big picture always in the back of his mind.
Ocean Terminal may have lost tenants over the years but Jones pointed out that these have often been companies like British Home Stores who have gone into administration, rather than companies set on moving elsewhere.
Dennis claims that one of the important features of managing Ocean Terminal is to remain open-minded, and that is why the former BHS store has now become a roller skater’s paradise. Whether that remains in place when more retailers arrive is open to question, but it is a good holding action for now and Dennis says he will certainly help them out if and when they ever have to move.
Ocean Terminal is home to the Living Memories Museum who have been there for several years, moving to bigger premises as they required to, and to the Image Collective who use the blank walls in the centre for their photography exhibitions. They curate the gallery exhibitions for Ocean Terminal which offer local people a wide range of interesting exhibits.
Jones said : “They have a very good feel for what is good and bad – they have never done a bad exhibition!”
The shopping mall will transition into Porta from the end of October, and you should watch out for the refurbishments and the rebranding between this year and next. The branding was almost a given, as they decided to adopt the Dazzle ship designs which will be incorporated into the development throughout. The main entrance will be altered with powder coated metal fins on the exterior which will feature the Dazzle ship paint scheme. The Dazzle ships were
But the idea is to remain open throughout for all their tenants big and small all the way through to summer 2020 by which time the refurbishment programme should be complete.
Dennis welcomes the CALA housing development across the road and the new S1 Development plans which have just been approved. He sees this as a new opportunity and believes that many of these new residents will use the shops, the cinema and the coffee shops already in place nearby.
The laconic American has been in town longer than Ocean Terminal has been called just that. Ocean Terminal opened in October 2001 and he arrived six months before then to hire staff and set things up. Previously he had been in the shopping centre business in the US for his entire career.
Now Dennis lives with his family in the Borders near Peebles and during his days off is most often out on his road bike getting some exercise.
But Dennis is not thinking of moving anywhere else in the near future. He admits this is perhaps the longest he has lived anywhere and that he has moved around a lot. He was born in Kansas but moved almost everywhere in the US as his dad was in the Army.
Just Eat Cycles have a bike hire station outside Ocean Terminal making it an easy downhill cycle from town, but if you bring your own bike then you can always get it serviced here too. Bike Craft have been housed in two units in Ocean Terminal. They moved from Ferry Road a short time ago (their shop has now become Bloc Gallery) and they are going to move onto the ground floor at the rotunda entrance where they will create a bike café alongside their retail and bike repair spaces. This is a business which has been allowed to grow at the speed they have been comfortable with, moving into larger spaces which suit them as they do.
The new look will be rolled out from end of October, and will take its inspiration from the Dazzle Ships. The focus is to become a premium outlet centre with better retail and leisure facilities alongside. Resolution Property want to create more opportunity for premium outlets as they have already in France, Germany and Denmark.
The 407,000 square feet of shopping and leisure will have an exciting new mix of aspirational and premium brands for its 4.6 million annual visitors to enjoy. Situated right in the middle of what might be the Edinburgh Shoreline project Ocean Terminal is set to be the central attraction for some time to come.
Shane Scott, partner at Resolution Property, said: “Delivering an outlet concept to the area is a unique and exciting opportunity and one that will transform the current offer. Ocean Terminal already enjoys good footfall and an impressive line-up of international brands, but we believe there is greater demand for a destination that provides experience as well as value. In fact, a number of our tenants have expressed demand for an outlet offer. Porta will build on this demand to establish the centre as one of Scotland’s leading outlet destinations.”
Ian Kitchen, partner at KLM Retail, said: “The key ingredients for a successful outlet experience are already present for Porta to capitalise on. The waterfront location, strong leisure and restaurant offer, the Royal Yacht Britannia, a new whiskey museum, as well as high tourism numbers are all important factors in curating a destination experience. The scheme will also benefit from being in an affluent catchment, only 15 minutes from Edinburgh city centre.”
In October all ages can tour the Royal Yacht Britannia with their own audio guide which is available in children’s and adults’ versions. The RYB has been a visitor attraction for an unbelievable 21 years, and you can use your visit to spot the 21 hidden corgis on the Cuddly Corgi Treasure Hunt. This October you can take your place at the ‘Royal Brow’ for a photo. This was the entrance which was once reserved for the Royal Family when they used the yacht to tour the world.
Every Sunday from 7.30am to 12.30pm there is a Car Boot Sale on Level F of the Red Car Park. There is a maximum of 100 stalls and they are all available on a first come first served basis. £14 per car or £25 for a double pitch.
Ocean Terminal
Ocean Drive
Leith, Edinburgh
EH6 6JJ
Tel: 0131 475 9400
Opening Hours
Mon – Fri: 10.00am – 8.00pm
Sat: 10.00am – 7.00pm
Sun: 11.00am – 6.00pm
Opening times for all stores are at this link here.
The newest addition is the PORTA Waterfront Market which is a permanent feature every Friday Saturday and Sunday until November. In December it will become a Christmas market with festive wares from around the world. The Rt Hon Lord Provost opened the market at the beginning of August accompanied by local MSP Ben Macpherson, chef Tony Singh and TV presenter Gail Porter.
Organised and run by LocalMotive Markets, PORTA Waterfront Market will create a ‘market with meaning’, with exhibitors chosen from a collection of local natural and low/no plastic businesses.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
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