The Bow Barracks as they stand now. A Telegraph picture

Like old wine in a new bottle, the Yuletide spirit will flow a few winters later from a brand new Bow Barracks building with the same burnt brick look.

In a landmark development, the residents of Bow Barracks have agreed to the demolition of the rundown redbrick structure, making way for modern dwelling units and a commercial hub.

The residents of Bow Barracks have long opposed any makeover move on the premises, declared unsafe by the Calcutta Improvement Trust (CIT) in 1980. The site has come under the spotlight since the release of Anjan Dutt’s film Bow Barracks Forever last week.

Famous for its cakes, wine and Christmas festivities, Bow Barracks is located in a lane off CR Avenue and is home to 132 families — Anglo-Indians, Chinese, Goans, Bengalis, Gujaratis and Biharis.

The residents have agreed to the makeover plan on the condition that the old structure will be pulled down block by block, and a makeshift arrangement will be provided on the premises till they can move into the new building.

The rehabilitation plan — commissioned by the CIT, which had turned the Barracks into a housing scheme in 1918 for those displaced from China Town — will be executed by the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA). The proposed name of the new building is Bow Barracks Enclave, and not Bow Barracks Forever (see report right).

“One hundred-and-eleven families of Bow Barracks have submitted their consent to the plan. We will keep the old form, style and architecture intact in the new structure,” said Barry O’Brien, the MLA representing Anglo-Indians, who discussed the proposal with Asok Mohan Chattopadhyay, the officer on special duty, CIT, on Tuesday.

“The residents approached me for a solution to their rehabilitation problem in August last year. We settled on this plan two months ago, after a series of meetings with the block representatives of Bow Barracks, and CIT and CMDA officials,” O’Brien added.

Bow Barracks now comprises seven blocks, spread over seven bighas and six cottahs. “We realised that even if these buildings last for the next 10 years, we cannot promise a safe future for our children or grandchildren. So, we opted for this plan. It will be for the better,” said Allen Lobo, secretary of Bow United Organisation.

The blueprint drawn up by a team of CMDA architects comprises an enclosure with a residential block, a community hall and a park.

While Bow Barracks representatives are pressing for three six-storeyed blocks, the CMDA has suggested two blocks of 12 floors each. Another grey area is the residents’ claim for direct ownership or 999 years of lease for the new apartments.