Artistic groups want six months to come up with a plan to save the Khyber building on Barrington Street, but municipal staff say the property needs $4 million in renovations and are recommending it be sold.

The future of the building is coming back to regional council this week. It had been the home of the Khyber Arts Society for 17 years, until last April when the city moved the group to a new spot on Cornwallis Street.

The municipality says the Khyber building, which was constructed in 1888, is in the second-worst shape of any building it owns and needs millions of dollars of upgrades to bring it up to code.

But the arts society has been working with Neptune Theatre and a new group called Friends of the Khyber. The society is urging the city to keep the building so it can be turned into an arts hub.

"There are still people that are invested in this space and that are interested in building something within it and keeping an arts centre running out of that building," says Hannah Guinan, the society's artistic director.

One option involves Neptune taking over management. The arts society hopes to come up with a new renovation and operating strategy by fall.

The idea will be debated at council Tuesday.