Town Hall to become museum
Delhi’s 160‑year‑old Town Hall in Chandni Chowk is set for a DTTDC–MCD revamp that will convert the building into a museum and heritage hub, with work pegged at about 36 months. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) The plan is structured on a revenue‑sharing model and aims to revive Chandni Chowk as a cultural‑tourism node once complete. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
The DTTDC concept document proposes interactive galleries, archival displays, digital interpretation, multilingual visitor services, guided heritage walks and heritage‑aligned retail, crafts and food‑and‑beverage outlets inside the Town Hall complex. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Initial assessments by officials put the restoration bill at more than ₹100 crore, with detailed cost estimates still pending a structural survey. (newindianexpress.com) The complex was completed in 1863 according to a structural‑study brief commissioned by the MCD, placing its construction in the early 1860s. (government.economictimes.indiatimes.com) Delhi’s civic records and recent reporting list the Town Hall as a high‑grade heritage structure under local protections. (hindustantimes.com) The building served as the municipal corporation’s administrative seat from the 1860s until the civic offices moved to the new Civic Centre around 2009–2010. (en.wikipedia.org) Earlier revival options included a failed bid to convert parts into a heritage hotel and a separate proposal with the Aga Khan Trust to refurbish the press‑building wing at an estimated cost of about ₹3 crore. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) The MCD’s municipal commissioner has moved a formal policy proposal to conserve and reuse the Town Hall, while DTTDC officials have sought in‑principle approval from the civic body to proceed with their plan. (hindustantimes.com) Chief Minister Rekha Gupta flagged a Chandni Chowk and Town Hall revival in the Delhi budget for 2026–27, presented with a total outlay of ₹1,03,700 crore and an urban‑development allocation of about ₹7,887 crore. (hindustantimes.com)
