WORK has begun to rip down an iconic former car showroom and build new flats.
The former Doves Vauxhall car dealership off The Avenue in Southampton has been fenced off.
Demolition teams are now working to tear the derelict buildings down.
The land is set to be redeveloped to create a two to four-storey apartment block.
It is expected to contain 66 assisted living flats along with a four-storey care home for 80 people.
The plans were lodged with the city council by McCarthy Stone in September last year and approved at the end of August 2022.
In documents submitted to the council, the firm said the scheme would provide an opportunity for a "high quality" development that would contribute to helping meet the needs of the elderly in the area.
In August a fire ripped through a shed at the site which also destroyed a fence at a nearby house on Brighton road.
The cause of the fire was unknown but crews believed it may have been linked to the hot weather.
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