Paisley’s Kelvin House and part of the neighbouring building will go back on the market after a developer ended its interest in the site.
Renfrewshire Council has kickstarted the process of finding a suitable buyer for the C-listed structure in Marshall’s Lane, alongside a run-down section of the B-listed Forbes Place.
The local authority could not come to an agreement with Nixon Blue, previously its preferred bidder, who no longer considered development at the location to be viable.
It is understood this was linked to the complexities and costs of retaining the façade and anticipated flooding constraints associated with the plot.
Councillor Will Mylet, who represents Paisley East and Central, said: “I had been asking officers over the past year or so what’s been happening with the building and also with a view to potentially going out to remarket it.
“I never believed for one second that Nixon Blue had any intention of going ahead with this, so the fact it’s getting remarketed and Nixon Blue has pulled out came as absolutely no surprise to me whatsoever.
“I’ve had a feeling that this was on the cards for some time. I think as well with it being a council building, the council needs to make sure that it keeps it maintained and sets an example.
“There are too many buildings – and we just saw a fire in a building in Paisley recently – that are just left, so I think the council really needs to set an example and make sure its own buildings are looked after.”
Plans were initially put forward for the demolition of Kelvin House to pave the way for both the restoration of Forbes Place and the construction of 34 flats in October 2022.
However, councillors expressed their anger at the proposals – which had sparked public opposition in the form of a petition by retired conservation officer Duncan MacIntosh – at the planning and climate change policy board in January 2023.
A fresh idea that suggested knocking down part of Kelvin House – and keeping its façade – then emerged in April of that year but was withdrawn by the council within months after further resistance.
The local authority has now revealed it is back to the drawing board as it bids to find an interested party in the site.
A spokesperson said: “The developer has confirmed they are no longer seeking to develop the site due to the requirement to maintain the façade of Kelvin House and we are now in the process of remarketing the site.”
Designed by James Steel Maitland, Kelvin House previously housed the council’s social work department but has fallen into a state of disrepair in recent years.
Nixon Blue has been contacted for comment.
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