Reading council has revived a long-running search for a new headquarters building in the Berkshire town.
The council is being forced to move from its civic centre on Dusseldorf Way because staff working in the building are being exposed to “untenable health and safety and service failure risks” because the offices are riddled with asbestos and “at risk of legionella”.
Reading had proposed to finance and build a new 125,000 sq ft HQ but scrapped its plans in December 2008 after discovering that the project could cost as much as £100m more than the council’s original £54m estimate.
However, the local authority has now launched a scaled-back 85,000 sq ft requirement that could be housed in a single town centre building or split between two properties – an 18,000 sq ft HQ in the town centre and a 67,000 sq ft base out of town.
The requirement has been cut back following a reduction in headcount at the council.
A select number of parties have been invited to put their properties forward for the requirement by a 4 March deadline. The council is seeking three bids for each property, based on a 25-year lease with breaks at either year five, year 10 or year 15 and a minimum of two years rent-free.
paul.norman@estatesgazette.com
