6:30am Wednesday 17th September 2008
COUNCILLORS will today agree funding to tear down Southamp-ton’s landmark Tyrrell and Green building and turn the site into a park.
The boarded-up former department store, pictured right, is to be demolished so that it does not spoil the look of new developments springing up nearby.
Ambitious plans to turn it into two apartment towers and an arts complex, as the centrepiece of an arts and cultural quarter, collapsed after developer City Lofts pulled out this summer due to financial difficulties.
Ruling Tory council chiefs will today face questions over how they are going to revive the flagship scheme, which has been dogged by setbacks and delays.
They hope that a cleared site will be more appealing and will help to lure new developers to take it on. They will ask the council to approve up to £1.2m for the cost of demolition, to be recouped from the future sale of the plot.
Councillors want to take advantage of the demolition team booked to knock down the former C&A building in Guildhall Square to make way for a new office building for business services firm Capita.
Meanwhile, the budget for the proposed arts centre is set to shoot up again.
Councillors will be asked to approve a further £900,000 due to “inflationary pressures”.
It takes the budget to more than £14m from an original £8m.
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