Museum lease can be signed

4:00pm Thursday 29th March 2007

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The moment has come!

The great news received last week from the Heritage Lottery Fund means that the 125-year lease on the Arts and Crafts Centre can now finally be signed between Bury Council and the Fusiliers. The building will be formally handed over to Lieutenant Colonel Eric Davidson next Monday by council leader Wayne Campbell and chief executive Mark Sanders. Colonel Eric will be responsible for the building's management until the contractors take over the site to begin the conversion work at the beginning of July.

Ever mindful of the money which still needs to be raised to complete the project, the steering group have elected to press on with the project in spite of a £400,000 shortfall to ensure that the costs do not rise through inflation. The costs of construction are currently estimated to rise by about four per cent each year so a delay in a £3.4 million project can quickly result in having to raise a further £136,000 to cover the increase in costs. Project leader Colonel Brian Gorski said "I do feel that we are making a leap of faith here - but enthusiasm and determination has held us in good stead so far so we are pressing on in the same vein and the fact is that we must raise the remaining money within the next year."

The builders have not yet been selected and interviews are being held next Tuesday at the architects' offices in Liverpool to shortlist suitable contractors who will then be provided with all of the documentation against which they will tender for the work. Tenders will be carefully examined before a contractor is finally chosen and the steering group will be anxious to discover whether the final price is close to the estimation.

Watch this column for more news of project progress, of the selection process and the tendered prices. Don't forget the Buy a Brick scheme, which is now in full swing and a vital strand in the fundraising activities. Give a brick certificate as a gift, mark a special occasion or just join in with supporting the project and leave your message for posterity. Learn more about this and the museum project or make a donation on www.fusil iersmuseum-lancashire.org.uk