A bid to revive one of the north-east’s most iconic landmarks has taken its biggest step forward to date.
Aberdeen City Council’s property sub-committee today agreed to enter into a dialogue with Bon Accord Heritage – who aim to restore the Bon Accord Baths to their former glory and reopen them as a community-run facility.
This means council officials will now focus on the group’s bid for ownership of the historic Art Deco building, which closed in 2008 during local authority cutbacks.
However head of facilities and fundraising for the group, John Law, said the “real work” would now begin for the group.
The volunteers now have to convince the local authority to lease the organisation the Justice Mill Lane building.
After this it hopes to raise between £5million and £10million for its restoration and secure a community asset transfer from the council.
Property sub-committee convener, councillor Ross Thomson, said: “The city council recognises that the community can play a huge role in shaping their local area and it is great to see so many volunteers taking an active interest in the future of the Bon Accord Baths site, which otherwise could have been lost to the city.
“These proposals could help breathe life back into a facility that was close to the hearts of many Aberdonians.
“We look forward to hearing how the plans will develop following detailed discussions with our officers.”
The council’s head of land and property assets has been asked to begin discussions with the group, and a report on is due back to the committee on May 24 next year.