Councillors are to be told demolition is the only ”practical” option for disused Perth City Hall.
A report, seen by The Courier, will be presented to Wednesday’s meeting of the development control committee, outlining why reusing the building is not feasible.
It also states the plan could bring an extra £1.65 million to Perth through additional visitor spending.
Councillors are expected to vote to demolish the B-listed building to make room for a new civic square in front of St John’s Kirk.
The report acts as a wrecking ball through campaigners’ plans to save the town centre site, closed in 2004 when the new concert hall opened.
An appraisal of potential uses including keeping the building open for retail or cultural use or retaining a portion of it outlines how any such move could cost millions.
The report says having a ”cultural-led” use would bring a small return but only if heavily subsidised by the council, which it has made clear is not an option.
The hall has been for sale on the open market since a plan by developers, Wharfside, to turn it into a shopping destination was overtaken by the global financial crisis.
The report, by development quality manager Nick Brian, dismisses talk by protesters who have come forward with schemes most recently for Scotland’s first market hall to be housed in the building.
It has been released as the group, fronted by local developer Vivian Linacre, approached the council for an exchange of formal letters to allow it to secure funding to buy the hall.
But Mr Brian states: ”It should be noted that between the termination of agreement with Wharfside in 2009 until now, no other private sector developer has come forward with a formal proposal for an alternative use for the City Hall.
”This reconfirms the council’s belief that a commercially viable reuse of the building is highly unlikely given Perth’s limited commercial/retail catchment area, and particularly in the current property investment market which is unlikely to improve substantially over the next five years.”
He adds: ”Three expressions of interest have recently been made to the council, two of which involved substantial demolition and the other a conversion not unlike the aborted Wharfside proposal.
”The applicant advises none of the proposers has submitted detailed proposals, a viable business plan or identified sources of funding.
”It is also noted by the applicant that the council has previously indicated that due to its pre-existing financial commitments to supporting arts and culture in Perth, it will not support cultural investment in this location.”
Extra money would be generated, according to the appraisal, because an estimated 150,000 people would stay longer in Perth if it has a civic square and extra events could be held there.
Although the committee is expected to approve demolition, because the century-old hall is listed this must be approved by Historic Scotland whose consultation response to the plan was lukewarm.
Mr Brian notes: ”Historic Scotland queries why the creation of a square in the location proposed is essential for Perth and delivering its continued economic growth.
”In this instance, Historic Scotland consider the applicant (the council) seems to have focused on their own interests as property owner with a limited range of options and not investigated the full range of options for improving the performance of Perth.”
Mr Linacre wants to create a hall of fixed specialist market stalls to enhance city centre trade and tourism.