New council office contract goes to tender

The existing municipal offices (far right) will be demolished and replaced with a new building across the road as part of the major regeneration of Rochdale town centre.

Rochdale Council have placed an official notice to attract a building contractor for its new £50 million municipal offices.

The riverside development will provide a new library and information centre, public customer services, training and conference facilities together with accommodation for council, NHS and private sector staff.

The current Municipal Offices, known locally as the ‘Black Box’, built in the mid 1970’s, will be demolished, together with the adjacent bus station.

Council Leader Alan Taylor said: “There is wide agreement that the demolition of the current municipal building will greatly benefit Rochdale town centre and it is also necessary to clear a site for new retail development. Our proposals are an important catalyst in the regeneration of that area. The plan includes attracting complimentary private sector investment with cafes, bars and restaurants. Many other towns and cities make use of their water-ways as business and tourist locations and we want to make more of the impressive river that runs through the town centre and bring it back to life for residents and visitors to enjoy.

“The new building will also be much more efficient to run and maintain which will enable us to save money in the longer term.”

To be completed in 2012, the building will be built on the former Yelloways bus depot site on Smith Street, part of a wider scheme to redevelop and revitalise the town centre’s previously hidden riverside area.

Roger Ellis, Chief Executive of Rochdale Council said: “Completion of the new council headquarters along with a library, customer services and office space for thousands of staff will be a significant milestone for the borough, with the retail development to follow, the transport interchange and the arrival of Metrolink. All this will go a long way to revitalising the town centre. These new projects and developments will undoubtedly have a massive effect on Rochdale and create a town to be proud of, and this new office development is a key element of this.”