BOURNEMOUTH’S controversial Waterfront Imax building could be cut down to size and re-opened by Easter 2012.

The borough council hopes demolition work on the Waterfront complex will start this spring and a re-developed building could open 12 months later.

It is set to short-cut the usual competitive tendering process in order to appoint a company to start immediately.

A report to councillors says the council wants to see a “quality, commercially-viable all weather leisure attraction” with a mix of uses which reflects the results of a public consultation on the building’s future.

Bournemouth council bought the freehold of the 12-year-old building last year and evicted its remaining tenants. The giant screen Imax cinema, which was to have drawn people to the venue, traded for less than three years from 2002-05.

The council wants to see the building “substantially” demolished under a major re-development.

But it has planned an “interim” scheme which could last 10-15 years until the property market improves.

A report by project manager Sarah May says: “A 12-month programme is necessary to complete the substantial demolition works and enable the new tenants sufficient time to fit out the units for the new offer in order to meet the deadline of re-opening the facility of Easter 2012.”

The cabinet is being urged to award a design-and-build contract to Morgan Sindall Construction, rather than seeking the usual three to six tenders for the job. The report says the normal process is “not feasible due to the short lead-in time and the requirement to complete a design-and-build works contract within a 12-month programme”. It says the move will also limit disruptive building work at the seafront to one year.

Financial details of the scheme will remain secret when it goes to cabinet today, but the council intends to keep the overall budget to £8.5million.

A planning application for the interim scheme goes before councillors next Monday.