The old mint on Strand Road. A Telegraph picture

Nobody ever seemed to be there on the staircase leading to the building, but the moment you took out a camera, a jawan with a firearm would materialise from nowhere and command you to stop taking pictures. Photography is prohibited here, although the structure itself is crumbling and all the ingots inside its vaults had disappeared long ago. But this is set to change soon.

The derelict but stunning mint on Strand Road, that is close to 200 years old and which shut down in September 1985, will get a new lease of life as it will be reborn as a mint museum that will include a printing museum as well.

The mint in Grecian Doric style fronted by a row of 40 columns was a replica of the Temple of Minerva at Athens. The silver mint was started in 1831, while the copper mint began to operate from 1865. Once one of the busiest mints in the world it is almost on the verge of collapse after years of disuse and neglect.

Now thanks to the initiative taken by Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, by 2010 it will be the first museum of its kind in the city where the evolution of coins will be depicted, historic specimens and old machinery, national award medals produced at the Indian Government Mint, Alipore, and printing machinery will be displayed, and where adequate amenities will be provided to attract visitors throughout the year.

The mint, its ancillary units such as the bullion room and mint master’s quarters, and other spacious staff quarters are located in two parcels of land occupying 12.8 acres. This includes a waterbody in its midst. The floorspace is 170,000 sq ft. To be developed on private-public partnership, IL & FS Infrastructure Development Corporation has been contracted to execute the project. Although no figures on the required funding are available now, bids should be invited by March 2008. The Calcutta Port Trust, Calcutta Municipal Corporation and Calcutta Police and appropriate alternative private developers will be involved in the project.

The School of Cultural Texts and Records, Jadavpur University, had proposed that a printing museum be set up here. A library will also be built and inexpensive accommodation for research workers has been proposed.

Calcutta is the only city where antediluvian printing technology is still put in use and blocks are made out of wood and zinc in Chitpur for printing jatra and political posters and calendars on litho machines. Artist Aditya Basak, who is from Chitpur-Garanhata area, is planning an exhibition based on this technology for early next year.

Unlike the so-called “restoration” projects such as the ones in Great Eastern Hotel and Mackinnon Mackenzie, where the “heritage” element of these buildings has been erased forever, at the mint the accent will be on preservation of the original structure.

“The focus is on ambience and not commercial activity,” says Sudip Datta, the vice-president of IL & FS Infrastructure Development Corporation. Paperwork is complete and now the project report is being prepared and an advisory committee has been set up.

However, there will be some components on the side facing the main mint building to generate funds. “There will be a food court,” said Datta.