Albert Hall update: Work continues on 'one of the greatest assets' in town

City of Launceston council contract liaison officer David Rodman said contractors had been on-site since November 2023, with much of the work beyond the initial demolition happening out of sight.

"There's quite a bit of behind the scenes work - underground services and infrastructure that's been put in place that doesn't really become apparent when you're looking at the site," Mr Rodman said.

"It's really setting that stepping stone to lift off, and we'll start to see some of the structure of precast panels structural steel go up in the next couple of months and really transform the site which is exciting."

Alongside water, sewer and electrical work a new accessible corridor between the lifts and the basement dressing rooms is being built and work is soon to start in the building's John Duncan room and northern foyer.

The $16 million project is focused on modernising facilities at the Albert Hall, including accessibility upgrades, new culinary facilities and audio-visual equipment.

The renovation is not directly impacting the heritage-listed part of the building but the 1980s-built extension, with the 19^th Century brickwork protected with plywood hoarding.

Mr Rodman said this made for a delicate balancing act - paying homage to the heritage of the building while bringing it up to modern standards.

He said another challenge was working existing structural components into the new design, which reduced the overall budget and carbon footprint of the project.

"The most cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to build is to retain what's already there and not demolish it, throw it away and then rebuild it," Mr Rodman said.

"That was a really significant piece through the design, they came across a lot of challenges. We really had to push to be able to maintain that existing structure.

"By retaining that structure, the columns and the beams and the floor plates, up to 45 per cent of the embodied carbon (emissions) have been saved through the build process and also it's a significant cost saving."

City of Launceston mayor Matthew Garwood said the project remained on track for a March 2025 completion date, consistent with the terms of the contract.

Cr Garwood said the new east wing was an example of "forward thinking", and would ensure the hall remained an asset for decades to come.

"One of the greatest assets that Launceston, the North, has is the Albert Hall," he said.

"The Albert Hall brings such great nostalgia and prowess to what Launceston embraces in its history of architecture."

The project was funded to the tune of $11 million by the federal government, with the council chipping in more than $5 million and the state government contributing $60,000.

Federal Minister for Regional Development Kristy McBain said she knew the building held a "special place in the community", and Senator Helen Polley said the federal funds would help create a "lasting legacy for the region".