DEMOLITION work at the Hudson House site in York city centre is almost complete, with work due to begin soon on the next stage of the development.

Specialists have been working to demolish the 1960s building, which was formerly used as railway offices, since February and the site is due to be cleared by the end of September.

Developers Palace Capital Ltd are planning to build 127 apartments, an office block and commercial unit on the two-acre site.

A new route linking the train station with Toft Green and Micklegate will also form part of the development.

Neil Sinclair, chief executive at Palace Capital, said work at the site is going “according to plan”, with the scheme on track to be ready by the end of 2020.

He said: “We are going to tender this month to several contractors and that will be due back some time in October.

“We anticipate commencing construction probably in February.”

He added that contractors said there has been a great deal of interest in the demolition at the site, with a number of “spectators” stopping by to watch as the work progressed.

Four blocks are set to be built on the land and planning documents say they range in height from four and five storeys to eight storeys.

Three of the buildings will be apartment blocks with a mix of one, two and three bedroom accommodation.

One block will provide about 34,000 sqft of office space and there is also set to be 5,000 sqft of commercial space. Currently, plans for the commercial space have not yet been announced.

There will be three areas of car parking providing 68 spaces, with one “undercroft” car park located under one of the blocks.

Planning documents say: “The project brief called for the design of a high quality mixed use development that would complement the site’s prominent and historic city centre location.

“A Grade A office building and commercial space was also required in response to the recognised shortfall of Grade A office space in the city centre.”

Hudson House was designed as the headquarters for the British Rail Eastern Region and build between 1967 and 1970.

The building, in Brutalist style, was designed by S.Hardy of the British Rail Architects’ Department.

Planning documents say: “York’s first railway station was constructed in 1841 inside the city walls. The current station was constructed outside the city wall in 1877.

“The stations were built by York and North Midland Railway Company which was founded in 1839 and connected York with Leeds, Selby and Normanton. Their first chairman was George Hudson, known as the Railway King -after whom it is believed Hudson House is named.”

A heritage assessment is also due to be carried out at the site.

Planning permission for the scheme was granted in August 2017.