This 1-vinylimidazole compound (II) is obtained by reaction of N,N'-thionyldiimidazole (A) with 2-hydroxy-3,6-dichloroacetophenone (I) in dichloro-methane. Treatment of (II) with epibromohydrin (B) in DMF in the presence of NaH gives the epoxy compound (III), which is then treated with isopropylamine (C) to obtain the propanolamine compound (IV). The hydrochloride can be prepared by treatment of the free base (IV) with one molar equivalent of HCl in AcOEt.