A cafe, a cinema, a gym and Greater Manchester Police are among those interested in a spot at Westhoughton Town Hall once the 120-year-old site is brought back to life.
It comes as a proposal for the town hall on Market Street is set to progress, with a multi-million refurbishment up for consideration by the council at the start of next week.
Included in the proposal is a plan for a combination of commercial and office space at ground level, as well as workspaces on the first floor and second floor. There is also restoration work to the council chamber, but the library and Carnegie Hall are not included in the plan.
The idea is to use the income from potential occupiers of the commercial and office space to 'protect the fabric of the building for future generations', according to a report.
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This report, for consideration by cabinet member for regeneration Adele Warren at the start of next week, reads: "This report seeks approval to refurbish the now vacant Westhoughton Town Hall to bring the building back into commercial and office use, thereby generating an income for the council that will help to protect the fabric of the building for future generations.
"The refurbishment and reuse of the town hall was an agreed KDP [Key Development Priority] as the building is considered the most important in the town centre and has laid vacant since council services were centrally located."
At the end of last year, the council started to assess interest in a spot in a town hall among organisations at a local level. There is an intention to assess interest at a national level too.
Those interested at the moment number 10, and include a cafe, a cinema, a gym and Greater Manchester Police. These are still under consideration apart from the gym, whose occupancy is considered unlikely.
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On Monday, Cllr Warren is recommended to approve the multi-million refurbishment, releasing £1.5 million towards the proposal to take its budget to almost £4.5 million, most from the District Centres Fund.
Opinions were sought from councillors and from the Westhoughton Town Centre Steering Group, but there is to be no public consultation.
This is because the proposal is part of the Westhoughton Town Centre Masterplan, for which there was a public consultation back in 2020.
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