A FORMER headquarters building for IBM in the heart of Basingstoke is for sale for £4.5million.

The empty building is being marketed by commercial agents Jones Lang LaSalle.

The move comes after talks on converting it into another apartment block, close to the developments of Crown Heights and Victory Hill, failed to clinch a deal.

Alenon House, which is within walking distance of Basingstoke railway station, is for sale or rent, and the agents have not ruled out a developer still wanting to convert it into living accommodation.

Mark Embury, of Jones Lang LaSalle, said: "We are still talking and it still could possibly go for flats. Numerous people have expressed interest."

The landmark Alenon House (pictured), which helped to give Basingstoke its high-rise Dallas tag, offers 157,796 sqft of accommodation.

It is held on a long leasehold from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, which began in March 1977 and runs until the end of 2101.

The agents are now focusing on marketing the building for its existing use as offices, and rental levels for short-term deals are likely to be about £7.50 a square foot.

Jim London, of commercial agents London Clancy, said that, including Alenon House, the available office space in Basingstoke now stands at about 1.2 million sqft.

However, he added: "Generally, there is more activity in the commercial market."