Ahmedabad: Renovation work has finally begun on the 84-year-old Sheth Mangaldas Girdhardas Memorial Town Hall at Ellisbridge following an agreement between the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the UN Mehta (UNM) Foundation.

Under the 30-year agreement signed last year, the foundation will undertake the restoration, operation and maintenance of the heritage structure. A senior AMC official said the project is being funded through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and aims to upgrade facilities while preserving the building’s original architectural character.

Planned improvements include better parking facilities, a food court and the introduction of digital booking systems to enhance public access and user convenience.

The renovation follows earlier interventions by renowned architect and Pritzker Prize laureate B V Doshi in the 1960s and by Kamal Mangaldas in the late 1990s. The current project will be overseen by a 16-member committee and is intended to restore the hall in line with its original design while retaining its role as a key cultural and civic venue.

Completed in 1940, the Art Deco–style town hall was built as a memorial to industrialist Sheth Mangaldas with public contributions from the citizens of Ahmedabad. Designed by British architect Claude Batley, the structure remains a significant example of early 20th-century public architecture in the city. DeshGujarat