The Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (Credai), Kolkata, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Wednesday to repair and restore the now-defunct Roxy cinema.
Credai has promised to spend ₹5 crore for turning the cinema hall into a modern auditorium.
Siddharth Pansari, the president of Credai, Kolkata, signed the MoU on Wednesday in the presence of mayor Firhad Hakim.
According to an official of the civic body, the KMC is already repairing the facade of the building at 4B Chowringhee Place, which housed Roxy cinema. “We will repair and paint the facade while Credai will work inside of what used to be the cinema hall. They will convert it into an auditorium,” said the official.
“Credai Kolkata has come forward to restore the eminence that a heritage building such as Roxy cinema carries. Our members have come forward to donate to this collaborative endeavour,” said Pansari.
According to Pansari, the Credai initiative has established a model in which a private entity invests funds to build public infrastructure that will be utilised by a public institution.
“The KMC will soon hand over the possession to us so that we can start the repairs and restoration. We plan to complete our work within nine months and hand it over to the civic body,” Pansari added.
“Roxy Cinema Hall” is listed as a Grade IIA building in KMC’s Graded List of Heritage Buildings.
For a Grade IIA building, “new construction may be allowed in the open land within the premises in a compatible manner with the heritage building.” “In no case should new construction obstruct the view of the heritage building,” the Graded List mentions.
But “no external change will be permissible” in a Grade IIA building. The “use of the building should also be compatible with the category of the heritage building”.
The ground floor of the building has a few shops that have struck an agreement with the KMC to function from there. Rest of the building is now vacant, said KMC sources.
