Sixty three years after it opened and more than fifteen since it was last used, the Lower Hall on the Civic Hall site is coming down.
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Last month the restored Civic Hall opened to the public. But the Lower Hall on Armstrong Street was partially demolished on Saturday, to make way for the State Government's new public servant complex GovHub.
The Lower Hall has been derelict for decades and beloved mostly by pigeons and graffiti artists, who found a way inside, but now it is no more.
Some advocates wanted it retained and argued it was integral to the Main Hall but the promise of a 1000 jobs housed in the new GovHub won the day.
Wendouree-based Nicholson Construction has teamed up with Kane Constructions for the two year build of the new multi-storey office block, with 200 car spaces at its base.
The GovHub building - a five-storey design which will house 600 government workers relocated from Melbourne, as well as another 400 from Ballarat - started construction on January 9.
The shell of the lower hall will remain, with plans to connect it to the five-storey GovHub building, where it will be turned into a public space possibly containing a cafe or bar.
Armstrong Street North will be a one-way street between Mair Street and Market Street for the entirety of the two year construction with no northbound traffic, to allow for heavy vehicle entry.
