Crawley Borough Council has applied for government funding to help pay for the demolition of the old town hall.
The land surrounding the building, in The Boulevard, has been boarded up while the council waits to hear about its application to the Brownfield Land Release Fund.
Before the pandemic, the plan had been to redevelop the entire site, with the civic hall being demolished in 2020.
Work on that half of the project was completed, with a nine-storey building housing the new town hall and office space officially opening in March 2023.
But the second part – the demolition of the old town hall to allow for a ten-storey block of 182 flats with ground-floor commercial space, looking out on to a public square – ground to a halt in February.
The council’s partner Westrock withdrew from the project.
Leader Michael Jones said the council still owned the land and was working through options for the site.
He added: “Obviously we would like to find a good use for the site in the not too distant future. The important thing is to get it right.
“It was unexpected that the council would retain the site – clearly we hadn’t worked out plans for it because there were arrangements in place that are not now going ahead.”
A council spokesman said the authority hoped to hear within a few weeks whether its bid for money had been successful.
They added: “There are few options for the former town hall in its current condition other than demolition, as we do recognise that this building was a significant part of Crawley’s past.
“We are not yet able to provide time-lines for any subsequent building work at present.
“We have taken the decision to erect hoardings to secure the site. This follows the recent encampment, but also the fact that the outcome of the aforementioned bid is expected shortly.”
One of the focal points of the old town hall was the Boy & Dolphin sculpture housed in the central courtyard.
The sculpture used to sit at the centre of a fountain in Queens Square, delighting residents for years and falling foul of many a prank involving bubbles in the water.
When the old town hall closed, it was placed in storage.
Mr Jones described the sculpture as ‘elegant and beautiful’, adding that he was determined that it would find a new home in the town as soon as was possible.
The council spokesman said: “The Boy & Dolphin statue is being safely stored and we continue to look for suitable opportunities for a future use for this valued piece of the town’s heritage, to make it visible and accessible once again.”
