Glenrothes’ leading councillor has stated his frustration over the lack of progress in demolishing a town centre eyesore.
Councillor Bill Brown has told The Courier that there is no timetable for razing the former Co-Op department store and that further details are unlikely to emerge until later this summer.
An agreement to see the building torn down was agreed earlier this year, with community leaders expressing delight at the announcement.
However, councillor Brown says that he is beginning to grow frustrated at the lack of urgency to progress with redevelopment work.
He told The Courier: “I don’t understand what the difficulty is.
“I know that the Glenrothes Area Futures Group has been encouraging the operators to move forward with their plans.
“It would be great to see the space opened up and allow for the construction of new shops that could be let out.
“Demolition of the Co-Op is definitely on the agenda but everybody wants to know when work might start.”
The former Co-Op department store has remained empty for several years having once been the jewel in the crown of Glenrothes town centre when it opened in the 1960’s.
Riddled with asbestos, the space has fallen into disrepair and been cited as a huge deterrent for the development of new leisure and retail units.
The giant space has long been considered the key to regenerating the town’s main shopping precinct, and earlier this year a deal was reached between LaSalle and the Co-Op to terminate a lease that was scheduled to run for a further 30 years.
Last year, Simon Usher from LaSalle Investment Management told The Courier that the company’s main desire for Glenrothes town centre was to establish an evening economy.
The land currently occupied by the Co-Op was one area suggested by Mr Usher that could be redeveloped and provide a site for a “lifestyle quarter”, featuring restaurants, bars and possibly even gym facilities.
LaSalle were contacted by The Courier yesterday but had received no comment at time of going to press.
jowatson@thecourier.co.uk.