Would-be saviours of Perth City Hall have until January 16 to present a plan capable of securing the Edwardian building’s future.
The listed former civic centrepiece is back on the market, with developers being urged to come forward with their business cases for its reuse.
At present the Seventy Group which has already secured planning permission to convert it into a five star hotel and the Perth City Market Trust (PCMT) are the only known interested parties.
All prospective applicants have been warned that they must have funding in place before coming forward.
Property specialist Jones Lang Lasalle is once again marketing the building on behalf of Perth and Kinross Council and will scrutinise the plans put forward for its “long lease”.
Architect Dr James Simpson, who has been working with both the PCMT and the Seventy Group, said: “We will be working on several fronts to secure a viable future for the city hall.
“We cannot lose this excellent building, which has much to contribute to the city.”
Dr Simpson said he was confident that there would be a “sensible” plan or, possibly, several plans to present to Jones Lang Lasalle by the end of the year.
Councillors last month expressed their disappointment that a new marketing process was to take place.
Although a number have said they would be only too happy to consider a viable plan for retention, there has been widespread agreement among elected members that the process should have ended by now.
Historic Scotland has been urged to ensure that this is the last marketing process it will insist upon and that it will stand aside and allow demolition should a viable plan not be found.
Neil Baxter, secretary and treasurer of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) has, however, called for “an effort of will by the council” towards the retention, rather than destruction, of what he said was a “much-loved historic building”.
“The royal incorporation sincerely believes that this is a valuable, historic building of real quality,” he said.
“It is generally agreed that the restorative reuse of existing buildings is the most sustainable approach to current urban living.
“Where a building is among the best in any of our urban townscapes, as the city hall undoubtedly is, that reuse becomes all the more important.”
PCMT trustee Vivian Linacre said the group would be submitting a bid for the hall and was confident that it would see the building reopened “for the benefit of the city and the surrounding area”.
The trust remains convinced that plans for an upmarket food hall and eateries will work, while the Seventy Group hopes that the process will leave it in pole position to progress its hotel proposals.