NEW DELHI: The historic Town Hall complex in Chandni Chowk is set to be redeveloped as a Global Heritage Centre, with the Delhi government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) signing an MoU to conserve the Grade-I heritage property. The project is significant as the Town Hall, Press Building and Park form part of the historic areas of Chandni Chowk and Shahjahanabad.
The Grade-I heritage complex was built between 1860 and 1866. The Municipal Corporation’s headquarters remained in the complex for a long time before being shifted in 2010 to the new Dr SP Mukherjee Civic Centre on Minto Road. The MoU was signed in the presence of CM Rekha Gupta at the Delhi Secretariat on Sunday. The project covers the town hall, press building and a park spread over around 12,180 square metres in the historic Chandni Chowk and Shahjahanabad areas, according to a statement.
Under the MoU, its ownership will remain with the MCD, while the heritage structures will be conserved and developed for tourism and cultural activities, it said. The proposed Global Heritage Centre will include a museum and facilities for cultural and tourism activities, the statement said.
Located near Chandni Chowk and Old Delhi Railway Station, the complex will provide domestic and international visitors a place to experience Delhi’s history, heritage and culture within a single complex. It further said that the tourism department has been tasked with conducting surveys, undertaking a structural assessment and preparing a detailed project report for the redevelopment.
CM Gupta said the Town Hall is an important part of Delhi’s history and heritage, and the government is committed to preserving its historical and architectural identity. Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra said, “Our effort is to make historical monuments more attractive and useful for domestic and international tourists while preserving their heritage.”