Finally, Town Hall renovation may take off next month

After several missed deadlines and years of delay, tenders for the redevelopment work of the iconic Town Hall building in the Walled City may finally be floated within next month.

According to a senior civic body official, a "Draft Request For Proposal (RFP) has been prepared and sent to the departments of finance and RP Cell for vetting, after which tenders for the work will be floated".

However, the process may take around a month's time, as it involves a number of technical specifications, he added.

Civic officials blamed the Central government's Union Ministry of Tourism for the delay, claiming that initially, the project had to be funded by them, but later it was decided that the historic building will be redeveloped in PPP mode.

"The work had been delayed because of a number of factors, including changes in planning and funding. However, now the tender is in the process of being floated. The procedure may take longer, as it involves a number of technicalities including preserving the heritage character, deciding the revenue model and maintenance costs, among others," the officer said.

The north civic body, under which the work is being undertaken, in July, had set nine months to start work on the project to be completed in two years.

While a plan for turning the building into a museum and a tourist attraction was proposed in 2013, it never took off.

The 150-year-old yellow stone and brick building so far stands deserted in the middle of the bustling Chandni Chowk. The landmark structure has been the seat of power of the unified MCD till 2012 and has been in ruins since the MCD headquarters shifted to Central Delhi's Minto Road.

The place has been proposed to be turned into a museum - a centre of cultural and social heritage depicting the history of the Capital city. The museum will occupy an area of about 1574 square metre on the ground floor.

The complex will have a craft bazaar, dancing fountain, the maze, light and sound programmes, street food, children activity area, boutique hotel, food court, courtyard, and sculpture garden, digital library, lecture rooms, a museum, and a fine dining area on the premises.

IT WILL INCLUDE...

• Complex to have a craft bazaar, dancing fountain, maze, light and sound programmes, street food, children activity area, boutique hotel, food court, courtyard, sculpture garden, digital library, lecture rooms, museum, fine dining area.