The Heritage Conservation Committee of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority has approved the construction of a three storeyed building on the Memorial Hall campus here by the Christian Literature Society (CLS).
The committee had earlier rejected an application of the Society seeking permission for an eight storeyed building on the campus, which is near the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.
While approving, the Committee also recommended suitable architecture for the new building. The construction of the building, which would serve as the headquarters of the CLS, is likely to start in a fortnight. The area of each floor of the new building would be around 11,000 sqft.
According to an official of the CMDA, a heritage building, which housed the CLS, adjacent to the Memorial Hall, was demolished in 2009 after seeking permission from the Chennai Corporation.
The owner of the building is the CSI Bishop of Madras, Rt. Rev. Devasahayam. The Bishop is also president of CLS.
“We celebrated the 150th year of the building in 2008,” said CLS General Secretary Rev.Lawrence Jebadoss. The new building would come up there.”
“We are waiting for the planning permission from the CMDA and sanction from the Chennai Corporation. All arrangements are being made,” said J.Durai Raj, consultant to the CLS building and Memorial Hall.
The CMDA has directed that the architecture of the new building should match with that of the adjoining heritage structures such as Memorial Hall.
It has also suggested that the height of the new building should not affect the heritage value of Memorial Hall. Other suggestions include those pertaining to use of glass in the building. Suitable style of the building has also been suggested.
“We are willing to abide by CMDA norms,” said Rev.Jebadoss.
“The CLS building is not for any commercial use. We are a publishing society of Christian literature with branches in Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Madurai, Kodaikanal, Bangalore, Mysore and Kochi,” he added. Meanwhile, the Chennai Corporation has asked the CLS to redo the drawing to facilitate widening of the road by a metre.
