🔗 Share this article What's Happening with the Capital's Scaffold-Wrapped Hotel? The metal framework enveloping the hotel on George IV Bridge may not be fully removed until 2027. On one of the most popular thoroughfares in the heart of Scotland's ancient city sits a imposing sight of scaffolding. For the past 60 months, Radisson's G&V Hotel on the junction of a key historic street and the adjacent bridge has been a plastic-wrapped eyesore. Tourists cannot book rooms, pedestrians are directed through narrow walkways, and businesses have left the building. Remedial work began in 2020 and was only expected to last a short period, but now frustrated residents have been told the framework could persist until 2027. Further Delays Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), the lead company, says it will be "near the finish" of 2026 before the initial parts of the structure can be taken down. The city's political leader a city representative has called it a "eyesore" on the area, while preservation advocates say the work is "highly inconvenient". What is transpiring with this apparently perpetual project? As advertised - how the hotel is presented in its intended state on the hotel's website. A Troubled History The 136-bedroom hotel was developed on the site of the former Lothian Regional Council offices in 2009. Projections from when it initially debuted under the a designer banner, put the build cost at about a significant sum. Construction activity got underway soon after the start of the coronavirus outbreak with the hotel itself not accepting visitors since 2022. A section of the street and a sizable stretch of sidewalk leading up to the junction of the tourist drag have been rendered unusable by the work. Pedestrians going to and from the a nearby area and Victoria Terrace have been compelled single-file into a tight, enclosed passage. An eatery Ondine departed from the building and relocated to a different location in 2024. In a release, its management said construction activity had compelled them to change the restaurant's appearance, adding that "guests were entitled to a superior experience". It is also hosts dining franchise a pizza restaurant – which has hung large notices on the scaffold to inform customers it is open for business. Photographs show the G&V Hotel being built in September 2008 (left) and the work beginning in 2020 (right). Slipped Schedules An report to the a local authority committee in January this year stated that the process of "exposing" the exterior would begin in February, with a complete dismantling by the close of the year. But the contractor has said that is not the case, citing "highly complicated" construction issues for the delay. "We project starting to remove sections of the framework near the finish of 2026, with further improvements ongoing after that," the company commented. "We are collaborating closely with the relevant stakeholders to ensure we create an better site for the community." Community and Heritage Concerns A conservation official, director of heritage body the an advocacy group, said the work had added to the city's reputation of being "leisurely" for urban works. She said those involved in the project had a "civic responsibility" to lessen disruption and should integrate the work into the city's streetscape. She said: "It renders the pedestrian experience in that area of the city really difficult. "It is puzzling why there is not some attempt to bring it into the street view or develop something more artistic and cutting-edge." Tourists have been obliged to walk down a tight enclosed walkway on a section of the road. Project Response A official statement said work on "ideas to beautify the site" was continuing. They stated: "We understand the irritations felt by the community and shops. "This represents a lengthy and protracted process, highlighting the difficulty and scale of the repair work required, however we are committed to finishing this essential work as soon as is feasible." The official said the city would "continue to put pressure" on those involved to complete the project. She said: "This scaffolding has been a negative presence for years, and I echo the annoyance of residents and local businesses over these continued delays. "That said, I also acknowledge that the company has a obligation to make the building secure and that this remediation has been extremely complicated."