New Delhi, Sept. 20 -- The historic Town Hall complex in Chandni Chowk, which has remained largely unused since the MCD shifted its headquarters in 2010, will be redeveloped as a Global Heritage Centre under a 30-year MoU signed between the civic body and the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) on Sunday.

The agreement, signed in the presence of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, covers the conservation and redevelopment of the Town Hall, Press Building and Park spread over around 12,180 square metres. The Grade-I heritage complex, constructed between 1860 and 1866, is proposed to house a museum and facilities for cultural and tourism-related activities.

Under the agreement, ownership of the property will remain with the MCD, while DTTDC will conduct a structural assessment, surveys and prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR). The project will subsequently be taken up either through public investment or the public-private partnership (PPP) route.

A Joint Working Group comprising officials from the DTTDC and MCD will review the project regularly. The MoU has an initial tenure of 30 years, extendable by another 30 years through mutual consent.

The redevelopment will follow an adaptive reuse approach, under which the heritage structure will be put to contemporary use while retaining its architectural character. The archival material, artefacts and historical records associated with the Town Hall will remain with the MCD.

"The historic Town Hall in Chandni Chowk is not merely a building but an important part of Delhi's rich history and heritage," Gupta said, adding that the government would seek to preserve its historical and architectural identity while developing tourism and cultural activities at the site.

Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra said the redevelopment would add to the heritage tourism infrastructure of Old Delhi. "Our effort is to make historical monuments more attractive and useful for domestic and international tourists while preserving their heritage," he said. The MCD had used the Town Hall complex as its headquarters for several decades before shifting to the Dr S P Mukherjee Civic Centre on Minto Road in 2010. The site, located near Chandni Chowk and Old Delhi Railway Station, is among the prominent heritage properties in the Shahjahanabad area.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.