Plans to build 140 homes on the site of a demolished Aberdeen office block are in doubt.
Greyfriars House on the Gallowgate was torn down amid plans to bring more people into the struggling city centre.
The building had been home to the Department For Work And Pensions, and latterly was adorned with a colourful Nuart mural.
The Press and Journal says owner Telereal Trillium spent 18 months trying fruitlessly to find a new taker for the office space when it became empty in 2018.
The company eventually decided to seize the "strong opportunity to deliver city centre housing" instead.
Those plans were approved in July 2020, and it is thought the subsequent demolition scheme cost £350,000.
Hampererd
Lockdown understandably hampered any immediate efforts to develop the site.
The project has also been delayed as negotiations with Aberdeen City Council continue over using its Gallowgate car park as a base for construction workers.
The owner began marketing the land in April 2021.
But, by the end of that year, concerns about the sensitive nature of the scheme were growing.
Wary would-be partners scrutinised many of the 20 conditions placed on the project when the local authority granted permission in principle.
No detailed designs have yet been lodged with the council, outlining the vision for how the homes would occupy the site.
Review of options
Telereal Trillium has had to "review the options for re-marketing and the levels of planning risk".
It says that a renewed effort in the coming months could reignite interest in the site.
However, it adds: "The current economic climate is volatile, and housebuilders or developers are nervous about city-centre projects which are often plagued with complications."
The company is now examining conditions which could put off potential interested parties.
The latest submission concerns the stipulation that any development should be connected to the Aberdeen District Heat and Power Network.
This, bosses say this could be a "potential block" and are asking for it to be removed.