Aberdeenshire Council’s Gordon House offices in Inverurie could be knocked down within months at a cost of £500,000.
The local authority has filed a building warrant revealing its plans to demolish the Blackhall Road building.
Council officers are hoping to shut the huge site for good by the end of December, and bulldozers could reduce it to rubble shortly afterwards.
The move comes as councillors relocate staff to offices elsewhere, with some being sent to Inverurie town centre.
History of Gordon House
Gordon House opened in July 1982 to act as the “nerve-centre” of what was Gordon District Council at the time.
It was also the home of some departments of Grampian Regional Council, which had its headquarters in Woodhill House, Aberdeen.
The building was later taken on by Aberdeenshire Council once it was formed in 1996 and the district council was abolished.
However, the future of Gordon House has been hanging in the balance for a while now.
Back in 2021, the local authority unveiled plans to transform Inverurie Town Hall and move its staff there.
Under this proposal, Gordon House would have been demolished to create 100 parking spaces for staff.
But the idea proved to be extremely unpopular and was withdrawn just six months later after 369 residents submitted letters of objection.
They claimed the planned extension would “desecrate” the historic hall and “destroy the feel of the town centre”.
What does Aberdeenshire Council have to say?
A local authority spokesman confirmed the demolition plan was pressing ahead.
He added: “The Service Point which is contained in the building will move to 93 High Street which will become the new public-facing office in Inverurie.
“Officers are working to a timeline to close Gordon House by December 31st, with demolition in early 2025.”
The decision to close Gordon House comes as other offices across Aberdeenshire were given the axe earlier this year.
As part of its crucial budget setting process in February, councillors agreed to shut its service points in Ellon, Turriff, Banff, Stonehaven and Huntly.
This was estimated to save the local authority £183,000 while it was hoped that closing underused offices across the region would recover £314,000.
Building closure to save council cash
Council leader Gillian Owen said the closure would lead to “significant budgetary savings” as the local authority would no longer need to pay for its maintenance.
And she believes moving the service point to a more central location in the town is an added bonus.
“I’m confident that the relocation of the Service Point to the High Street will provide easier access for those coming into Inverurie to access other services and local shops which can only be beneficial for this thriving town centre,” she stated.
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