WORK to turn the Garrison gym into a church and community centre will cost more than £1million.

The building was destroyed by fire in 2013.

Work was delayed due to insurance wrangles but it is now being transformed into the community centre it was supposed to become before it caught fire in suspicious circumstances in June 2013.

The insurers only agreed to pay to return the building to a secure shell and not the full cost of subsequent refurbishment.

Some of the initial almost £1.1million cost will come from insurance and some from money received by the council for allowing developers to build on former Garrison land.

The council has not revealed how much will come from insurers and how much from council funds, with discussions ongoing, but the total cost is expected to be £1,072,000

Work to build the shell started in August and should be completed by February before the next stage begins.

Abbeyfields Church will take over the building and is helping to pay for the refurbishment using funds raised and money from the sale of the existing building.

The gym in Circular Road South was on the list of historic and architecturally significant buildings before it was destroyed shortly after Colchester Council took over responsibility for the building from the garrison.

Lawford firm Rose Builders are carrying out the work.

An investigation into the cause of the fire was inconclusive.

It is one of a number of capital projects being carried out this year.

In total across all the projects about £6.2million has been spent.

Mark Cory, cabinet member for resources, said: "We are hopeful we will get a great facility to be used by the church and the whole area."