Plans to relocate SRUC’s north-east campus to ANM Group’s base at Thainstone will be put to the college’s board for approval in July.
ANM Group executive director Grant Rogerson said the north-east farmers’ co-operative was working on a “full business case” with SRUC on the design of the buildings, which includes plans for student accommodation on the site.
“We have to get the costings and the design to the SRUC board for final approval,” he said.
The proposed 4.5acre site had a “real campus feel to it”, added Mr Rogerson.
“If it goes ahead, we could be looking at 2017 or 2018 [for completion] but that depends on what SRUC chooses to do,” he said.
Outgoing chief executive Pat Machray, who serves as vice-chairman on SRUC’s board, said he had taken a step back from discussions on both sides due to conflict of interest.
He said long-standing plans for Scotbeef Inverurie to build a new abattoir at the site were still in the pipeline.
“There’s a lot of work going on between Scotbeef and the Scottish Government. Hopefully we will have better news on that very soon,” said Mr Machray.
In January, leading farm machinery dealer Ravenhill announced plans to build a new depot at Thainstone.
The dealer, which specialises in New Holland, Kuhn and Kubota machinery, has purchased around 1.7 acres of land at the site from the ANM Group for an undisclosed sum.
The new site, which is unlikely to be up and running until next year, will eventually replace Ravenhill’s depot at Dyce, Aberdeen, which the company has now out-grown.