Darlington Borough Council hopes to buy Northgate House from its current owners as part of a major redevelopment project in the town centre.
However, the local authority has faced several delays due to contractural issues and communication.
Council officials were positive about reaching a deal last summer but say they have not heard from the owners since.
Darlington Borough Council first outlined plans to demolish the “eyesore” tower block in 2021, as part of a wider regeneration of the Northgate area of town. A new mixed-use residential and commercial gateway to the town is proposed for the site.
Mark Ladyman, assistant director for economic growth said: “Unfortunately, we’re getting radio silence from [the owners]. In the summer, we got into a dialogue where we appointed an independent valuer for the property.
“They came back with a valuation and a comprehensive report with all the issues about the building. We shared it with the owners but since then we have not had any type of feedback.”
The council has suggested Northgate House could be demolished to make way for the proposed mixed-use development. Previous suggestions that a compulsory purchase order could be used have not been realised, with officials saying the council must follow a complicated process.
The possibility of acquiring Northgate House was raised during a council debate on how government funding is being spent to transform the town centre. The Towns Fund scheme has invested millions of pounds into redeveloping Victoria Road, Skinnergate and The Yards, and helped build the new T-Levels facility at Darlington College.
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However, mirroring the communication issues with Northgate House, the council has also faced difficulty progressing its scheme to redevelop Victoria Road near Darlington railway station.
Mr Ladyman said: “It’s really disappointing that we weren’t able to engage as much as we wanted to. The businesses aren’t a problem, it’s the owners of the buildings. To engage with the owners of properties is a real challenge. It wasn’t until we gained a huge amount of momentum in Skinnergate that owners got involved. The issue with Victoria Road is that we’ve tried our best to engage with people but we’re not getting any replies.
Councillor Chris McEwan, cabinet member for economy, said engagement and parity with land and building owners is key to progressing schemes. “Part of the challenge is owners vs landlords and there’s not a lot we can do,” he said.
