Construction of ₹77-crore Chennai Corporation Council Hall delayed; facility to be ready in 2027

The Hindu

14 hours ago

Construction of the Greater Chennai Corporation's (GCC) much-anticipated new Council Hall, which was initially planned to be ready before the 2026 State Assembly election, has now been delayed by a year. According to a GCC official, technical issues have pushed the timeline, and the facility is now expected to be completed only in 2027.
In December 2022, Mayor R. Priya announced that the construction would take around 12 months to 15 months, with council meetings likely to begin in the new hall by 2026.
However, the tender for the construction is now scheduled to be opened only on July 15, and with a project duration of 24 months from the start date, officials now estimate that the building will be ready in 2027.
The project was announced by Minister for Municipal Administration and Water Supply K.N. Nehru in June 2024, as part of the Kalaignar Centenary Year celebrations. The city would undergo a delimitation process, and the council would be expanded to 300 councillors, the Minister had said.
'While the core expenditure for the overall project is an estimated ₹62.57 crore, the overall expenditure is ₹77 crore, considering the additional expenditure and maintenance expenses,' the GCC official said.
Design ready
'A private architectural firm proposed the design for the new council hall that was reviewed and finalised three months ago. The new building will consist of four floors, covering a total area of over one lakh square feet. The ground floor will feature an entrance and foyer. The second floor will house offices of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Standing Committees, Ward Committees, the leader of the ruling party, among other party heads. Conference rooms for committee meetings will also be located on the second floor. Rooms designated for the GCC Council Department have also been accommodated. The third floor will be dedicated to the main hall, where council meetings and GCC budget sessions will take place,' he said.
He added that the Indo-Saracenic style of the old building is also being incorporated in the new building design. 'The design is finalised, but work order has not been issued to contractors to begin construction. Only after the order is issued, the final design can be released,' he said.
The official said the older structure, which will be demolished to raise the new Council Hall, had spaces for certain associations related to the Chennai Corporation, and a canteen for those agencies. These will be accommodated in the main building or other areas within the Ripon Buildings premises, he added.