Bosses at Ayr's crippled Station Hotel have finally broken their silence to the Ayrshire Post.
Eng Huat Ung – who has been an absentee owner of the crumbling pile since 2010 – is now ready to "break the deadlock" at the site, according to his representatives.
His legal team this week insisted Mr Ung, a Malaysian businessman, was prepared to find a "final solution" that would see "the hotel up and running again".
It comes with South Ayrshire Council continuing to chase him across the world for repair bills topping seven figures.
Scaffolding at the site, which has been in place since a dangerous building notice was slapped on the structure in 2018, is costing the taxpayer £60,000 per month.
Council bosses have been unable to trace Mr Ung for talks ever since they had assumed control of the building.
However, now he has shown the first sign he could be ready to come to the negotiating table after a four-year stand off.
Lawyer Aswath Ramakrishnan, the official representative for Mr Ung, told the Ayrshire Post: "It is clear from the various and many well meaning public announcements made by those who have the great interests of the hotel at heart that the position has been untenable, but is also largely misunderstood by those who come up with “solutions”.
"Nothing could have happened or can happen without further major expense to the council unless there is a meaningful involvement of the parties involved – a key one being the owner.
"The basic problem is the need for immediate and better direct lines of communication between the owner and the council."
Mr Ramakrishnan, a legal counsel based in Kuala Lumpur, pointed to previous talks brokered by former MSP, Chic Brodie, which failed to yield progress.
At that time, a potential sale of the hotel from Mr Ung to a fellow Malaysian businessman was mooted.
But with council chiefs determined the public purse would not be short changed following their work at the site, talks crumbled in line with the state of the building itself.
Purchased in 2010 for £750,000, the B-Listed hotel has gone to rack and ruin and been subject to everything from break-ins to rat infestations.
Mr Ramakrishnan said: "I know from personal experience he [Mr Brodie] pursued and, to this day, pursues the owner and his representatives relentlessly and with total impartiality to get to a proposal that might get the hotel up and running.
"He was also active in introducing a prospective new owner to the council some three-and-a-half years ago."
He added: "The owner is considering the possible actions to break this deadlock once and for all and we will work over the next few months with those like Mr Brodie to try once more to arrive at a final solution which would be to see the hotel up and running again."
A council spokesperson said: "The council would always be willing to talk to any party regarding the Station Hotel which remains in private ownership.
"We would be obliged if the Ayrshire Post could pass on contact details for the party representing the current owner of the hotel."
Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter here
