Demolition work is set to begin on the derelict and vandalised former tennis pavilion in Broughty Ferry.
The brick building in Rugby Terrace has been a magnet for graffiti, fire-raising and anti-social behaviour in recent years.
Councillors agreed last December the only option was to raze it to the ground.
Deteriorated beyond repair
It had been hoped it could be given a new lease of life by a business or charity but Dundee City Council says the building has deteriorated beyond reasonable repair.
Broughty Ferry councillor Craig Duncan has tried for some time to find an alternative use for the pavilion.
Mr Duncan said: “I tried to find an alternative use for the long abandoned former tennis pavilion off the Esplanade.
“The city council finally concluded that the structural condition of this building had deteriorated beyond economic repair and that demolition was now the only option for the building.”
Mr Duncan said a demolition contractor has been appointed and work is now starting on the site.
It is hoped the building will be demolished and the ground reinstated within two working weeks.
Site to be upgraded
Mr Duncan added: “I am pleased to say that a planning application has now been approved to upgrade the surrounding area.
“This will make alterations to the tennis courts and surrounding area including the formation of access ramp in the boundary wall, access tracks, hard surface, boundary treatments, landscaping and engineering works.”
The pavilion has been the target of vandals for several years.
Obscene graffiti was daubed over the pavilion last September, featuring sexual images and profanities.
And last April after a bin was set alight, there were calls for something to be done to prevent anti-social behaviour at the site.
Vandalism concerns
Mr Duncan said he had raised concerns about the pavilion with the council and police many times in recent years.
He said: “Ideally I would have liked to have seen the building repurposed and I passed on to the council several expressions of interest I had received from charities and commercial organisations hoping to turn the facility into anything from a tearoom to a storage facility.”
Mr Duncan added: “Although not the outcome I would have liked I am glad to see demolition work now going ahead in the hope it will put an end to anti-social behaviour at the site.
“I am keen the demolition proceeds as quickly as possible to curtail the anti-social behaviour and I asked that nearby residents be very much involved in deciding the future of the site.”
