An “eyesore” building in Elgin could be demolished by the end of the summer.
Moray Council has progressed plans to flatten Bishopmill House, a derelict former care home in the north of the town.
A contract for the work, believed to be worth around £100,000, has now been tendered.
Yesterday, a council spokesman said the authority aimed to have the site cleared by late August or early September.
At that point, it is hoped developers will lodge plans to build a new housing complex on the land.
Councillors agreed to knock down Bishopmill House during a meeting last September.
The venue has lain empty since the late 1990s, and has only been used since then for emergency accommodation during local flooding disasters.
Elected members learned that it would be cheaper to flatten the decaying building than to refurbish it.
Last night, Elgin City North councillor Patsy Gowans said residents in that area would be glad to see the demolition of the dilapidated venue.
“Bishopmill House served its purpose as a care home, and it’s no longer needed as a flooding shelter,” she said.
“It’s an eyesore that lets that area down, and it needs to be demolished.
“I’m hoping some affordable houses will be built on the plot, as that would fit in with the visual landscape.
“There is quite a large waiting list for houses in Elgin, and the town’s population is expected to keep growing over the coming years.”
The contract for the work states that the building contains “a large amount of asbestos” and stipulates that the material must be stripped by a specialist sub-contractor.
The council has imposed a deadline of Friday, June 3, for firms to offer their services and the contract is expected to be awarded roughly a fortnight later.
The local authority’s estates manager, Stuart Beveridge, told councillors the building material will be recycled as crushed masonry and used for up-filling on council-owned land at Moycroft and Chanonry industrial estates.
Mr Beveridge suggested that selling the land for housing development could recoup the cost of the demolition work.
The building was last used as temporary housing for victims of flooding in September 2009.
