A bingo club that was a former premier theatre in Aberdeen has been granted half a million pounds to help to restore it to its former glory. Tivoli Theatre Management Company was awarded the £508,700 grant award to cover the Grade A building repairs and reinstatement of architectural details to the exterior from from the Green Townscape Heritage Initiative.

The Tivoli Theatre was opened in December 1872 and was later used as a bingo club until it closed in 1997. Since then the building had fallen into a serious state of disrepair and had been placed on the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland.

Local businessman, Brian Hendry who is the chairman of the Tivoli Theatre Management Company purchased the property in July 2009 and pledged to repair the building. Hendry is planning to transform the theatre into a 450-seat auditorium, with new rehearsal spaces, dressing rooms, dance studios, a gymnasium, theatrical museum and cafe bar. In addition there will be additional retail, leisure and business spaces.

Mr Hendry commented: “Hopefully people in Aberdeen will start to see changes over the coming weeks and months as we start bringing this great building back to its former glory.”

The funding will be used for a comprehensive repair to the external fabric including the roof, rainwater goods, masonry, windows and doors. It will also help to reinstate much of the architectural detail on the Guild Street elevation of the Grade A listed building which has been lost over the years.

Councillor John Stewart and chairman of the initiative commented: “For many years now people have been calling for the Tivoli Theatre to be brought back to life and today marks a huge step forward in achieving that.”