The former Ipswich Crown Court building in Civic Drive has been placed on the market for more than £600,000.
After it was confirmed on Monday, January 12 that Ipswich Borough Council would sell the building, it has now been listed for £675,000, with the hope that a new use can be found for the building.
The building was purpose built in the 1960s as part of the Civic Centre but ceased to be used as a court in 2004.
Court proceedings moved to Russell Road in 2004 (Image: Newsquest)
It then had intermittent use, with a variety of charities calling the building home over the years before the last organisation left in 2023.
Since then the building has remained empty, with the borough council saying in September that "exciting options" would be discussed but no details were provided at the time.
Less than six months later and the council has concluded that selling the building will "lead to this site being of long-term benefit to the town centre".
The building has now been listed for £675,000 with the agents behind the sale, Fenn Wright, saying the old crown court could be used for a "variety of public uses".
Neil MacDonald, Labour leader of Ipswich council, said in September 2024 that not having the building in use was costing the council up to £50,000 a year.
The former crown court is found opposite the New Wolsey Theatre (Image: Ipswich Borough Council)
Councillor John Cook, who represents Alexandra ward where the building is sited, told this newspaper that selling off the site and reinvesting in Ipswich was "the best option".
Mr Cook said: "Sometimes the best option is for the borough to develop land holdings that we own ourselves, but sometimes the best option is to offload a site and have someone else come in and claim the capital receipts.
"That enables us to do other things for the benefit of the people of Ipswich and that is what we have decided to do with this building."
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